Unlocking export performance: the strategic impact of international entrepreneurial orientation and dynamic capabilities in Thai SMEs

As the global business environment becomes increasingly competitive, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly rely on intangible resources and capabilities to succeed in international markets. This research aims to examine the relationships among international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO), dynamic capabilities (DC), and export performance (ExPerf) in the context of Thai export SMEs. A quantitative research design was employed using survey questionnaires administered to 400 key informants responsible for export decision-making, including firm owners acting as top executives, export directors, and export managers of Thai export SMEs, selected through a multi-stage sampling approach the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that IEO has a significant direct effect on both DC and ExPerf, while DC also exerts a significant positive effect on ExPerf. Moreover, DC mediates the IEO-ExPerf relationship. This research contributes by integrating IEO and DC within a single framework to explain ExPerf in an emerging-economy SME context. The findings suggest that SME managers and policymakers should prioritize developing dynamic capabilities to enhance export competitiveness under conditions of uncertainty.