Management perception and marketing strategy in export performance: A comparative analysis in Italian and Spanish textile‐clothing sector (part 2)

Purpose: This is the second of two papers which examine the Italian and Spanish textile-clothing sector. The purpose of this paper is to focuse on the key factors in the international performance of textile manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach: In order to compare Spanish and Italian cases, the empirical study used a standardized questionnaire for collecting data. The cases analysed are respectively geographical zones with a great tradition in textile-clothing industry in their country, Catalonian (in the Spanish case) and Lombardian business (in the Italian case). Findings: It was found that international experience is the main factor in the export performance for both cases but investment in R&D and export experience have been the keys for explaining the major export performance of the Italian businesses. Research limitations/implications: The sample is formed basically from small textile-clothing business (with less than 500 employees). Originality/value: The paper is of value in that it provides a comparative study of the main factors that have affected the export performance of the Spanish and Italian businesses. A wide range of factors has been studied, including characteristics of the business, such as size, dispersion of sales and export experience. (Author abstract)