عبدالمجید مصلح

Background: Exporting companies need to innovate as a critical factor in different aspects and create competitive advantage in products, services and organizational structure in order to achieve the desired export performance in the domestic and global arenas. Managers of export companies with a globalization approach and choosing the right strategy to enter global markets can grow in the complex and competitive environment of the twenty-first century and consolidate their position among domestic and foreign rivals. Purpose: The main purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of types of innovation on export performance with an emphasis on the role of mediator of competitive advantage in exporting companies in Bushehr province. Methodology: This research, in terms of purpose, is a descriptive-survey based on applied research and information gathering, descriptive-survey and correlation type. In this research, in order to achieve the research objectives, 42 export companies were surveyed in Bushehr Province. Data were collected by distributing a questionnaire among the managers and senior exporters of a total of 82 individuals. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares approach and with the help of Smart PLS software was used to analyze the data and examine the hypotheses. Findings and Conclusion: The results of analysis of data indicate that innovation types have a direct and significant impact on the performance of export companies due to competitive advantage. Also, according to research findings, process innovation is more important than product innovation and organizational innovation on export performance, and export companies should pay particular attention to innovation in different dimensions. Also, the results of this research can provide guidelines for senior executives and companies in order to achieve optimal performance in international and domestic markets scientifically and practically.