Determinants of export intensity in emerging markets: An upper echelon perspective

Using India as an example, this article extends the application of upper echelon theory to emerging markets to consider the effects on firms' export intensity. Five characteristics of top management teams that influence a firm's export intensity were analyzed-educational level, functional heterogeneity, international exposure, age, and length of tenure with their current firm. The time period studied was 2007-2012, with a focus on these industries: rapidly changing consumer goods, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. Most of the study's hypotheses were supported, and some of the results obtained differ from those found previously for developed markets.