| ABSTRACT |
Global market entry represents a critical growth strategy for firms, yet its success is often impeded by the profound complexity of international trade logistics, particularly export-import (EXIM) procedures and documentation. This complexity creates a significant knowledge gap—a lack of procedural, regulatory, and cultural know-how—that can lead to costly delays, non-compliance penalties, and failed market entries. This research paper introduces and empirically tests a novel integrative framework that positions Knowledge Management (KM) as the central nervous system for mastering EXIM procedures and enabling successful global expansion. We propose that systematic KM practices—focused on capturing, codifying, sharing, and applying trade-related knowledge—directly enhance an organization's procedural competency and adaptability, which are key dimensions of organizational learning in an international context. This learned competency, in turn, drives supply chain productivity and successful market entry outcomes. Employing a sequential mixed-methods design, the study first collected quantitative survey data from 213 international trade professionals across manufacturing and agribusiness firms. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that KM system quality and a knowledge-sharing culture were strong predictors of EXIM procedural knowledge (?=0.67 and ?=0.59, respectively). This knowledge base positively influenced both supply chain productivity (?=0.52) and perceived market entry success (?=0.48). Crucially, procedural knowledge fully mediated the relationship between KM practices and operational outcomes. Qualitative follow-up case studies of two firms—one a successful SME exporter and the other recovering from a failed entry—provided rich context. The successful firm employed a dynamic "Export Knowledge Repository" with country-specific procedural checklists, digitized document templates linked to regulatory updates, and post-shipment review rituals. The failing firm relied on tacit knowledge held by a single manager, which led to a critical documentation error during a regulatory change. The integrated findings demonstrate that EXIM complexity is not merely an operational challenge but a knowledge management challenge. Effective global market entry, therefore, requires building an organizational learning system specifically designed for international trade, transforming fragmented individual expertise into institutionalized, accessible, and actionable knowledge. This paper concludes that for firms seeking global growth, investing in trade-centric KM is not a support function but a core strategic capability for navigating uncertainty, ensuring compliance, and achieving sustainable international competitiveness. |
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