1. ¹Faculty of Management, Sir John Cass Business School, City University London, UK
2. ²Loughborough University Business School, UK
3. ³Centre for Management Buy-out Research, Nottingham University Business School, UK
4. ⁴Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Correspondence: I Filatotchev, Faculty of Management, Sir John Cass Business School, City University London, 106 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8TZ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7040 5278; Fax: +44 (0)20 7040 8328

Received 27 September 2006; Revised 2 April 2008; Accepted 10 April 2008; Published online 12 February 2009.

Abstract

Combining international business research with the knowledge-based view, this paper examines factors affecting the export orientation and export performance of high-technology Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging economy. Using a unique, hand-collected dataset of 711 SMEs from Zhongguancun Science Park in China, it argues that export orientation and performance depend not only on the development of capabilities through R&D and technology transfer, but also on entrepreneurial characteristics, such as the founder's international background and global networks. It is also shown that both export orientation and performance are positively associated with the presence of a "returnee" entrepreneur.