Small firms' motivations for exporting: To earn and learn?

Exporting is an important source of revenues for many small and medium-sized US companies in an emerging global economy. This study of 138 small firms in North Carolina with exporting experience finds that although financial success is a crucial factor, financial gains alone do not fully explain the propensity of small companies to continue exporting. Firms that strongly value learning from international experience are more likely to continue exporting even when initial financial returns are disappointing.