عليرضا مه آبادي

In recent years, rapid technological advancements, particularly the expansion of digital tools, have redefined how firms operate in international markets. Despite this transformation, Iranian exporting companies continue to face a range of export barriers, classified into five dimensions: internal, product-related, industry-related, destination market-related, an‎d macro-environmental. The unique conditions of Iran’s economy, including international sanctions, currency volatility, weak communication infrastructure, an‎d a complex regulatory environment, make it difficult to generalize findings from developed countries. Accordingly, this study was shaped around the central research question: Given the advantages of digitalization, can digital technologies truly mitigate the negative impact of export barriers? To address this question, the theoretical framework of the study was based on two pillars. First, the export barrier model proposed by Cavusgil an‎d Zou. Second, the classification of digital technologies into three key domains: e-commerce, e-marketing, an‎d e-business. Based on this framework, three main relationships were examined: the direct impact of export barriers on export performance, the direct impact of digital technologies on export performance, an‎d the moderating role of digital technologies in weakening the negative link between export barriers an‎d performance. This applied study was conducted using a descriptive-survey method. The statistical population included Iranian firms that had adopted at least one digital tool in their export operations. Data were collected through a localized questionnaire adapted from internationally validated measures, eva‎luated for both validity an‎d reliability. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling in SmartPLS, which is well-suited for non-normal data distributions an‎d small sample sizes. The findings revealed that export barriers, particularly macro-environmental factors such as exchange rate instability, sanctions, an‎d complex customs regulations, significantly reduce firms’ international performance. Conversely, digital technologies especially those related to e-commerce an‎d e-marketing contributed to expan‎ding target markets an‎d enhancing firms’ competitive advantage. However, the data showed that digital technologies in the studied sample did not significantly moderate the negative impact of export barriers. A deeper investigation suggested that the gap between the availability of digital tools an‎d firms’ strategic utilization of them is the key reason behind this limitation. Based on the results, digitalization appears to be a necessary condition for improving the export performance of Iranian firms. Yet, without concurrent institutional reforms such as exchange rate stabilization, regulatory simplification, an‎d infrastructure development it will not be a sufficient condition. From a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the domestic literature by contextualizing export barrier concepts an‎d digital technology levels within a sanctioned economy, highlighting that the technology export relationship in such contexts is more complex than common models suggest. From a practical stan‎dpoint, the findings underscore the need for coordinated policy efforts, including firm-level digital empowerment programs, investment in technological skill development, an‎d the creation of secure cross-border payment infrastructure, to fully unlock the potential of digital tools for export growth.

فناوري‌هاي ديجيتال , بين‌المللي‌شدن , موانع صادراتي , عملكرد صادراتي

Digital Technologies , Internationalization , Export Barriers , Export Performance

Alireza Mahabadi

Dr. Amir Zakeri