Lilac Nachum

Using a Penrosian framework and World Bank Enterprise Surveys data on 4,254 African exporters surveyed between 2011 and 2020, the study tests whether pursuing direct and indirect exporting simultaneously yields stronger innovation than either mode alone, and finds that firms combining both modes innovate significantly more on product and process innovation, with the relationship robust across specifications and estimation techniques, while the four moderators tested only partly match theoretical predictions.

Using a Penrosian framework and World Bank Enterprise Surveys data on 4,254 African exporters surveyed between 2011 and 2020, the study tests whether pursuing direct and indirect exporting simultaneously yields stronger innovation than either mode alone, and finds that firms combining both modes innovate significantly more on product and process innovation, with the relationship robust across specifications and estimation techniques, while the four moderators tested only partly match theoretical predictions.