Innovation benefitting exporting: benefit enhanced by transnational networking

Well-known propositions are that innovation in an enterprise benefits its exporting, and that this dynamic is embedded in the network around the enterprise, in that innovation and exporting are both promoted by the network, especially the entrepreneur's transnational network. These propositions raise the question, how is the transformation of innovation into exporting embedded in the transnational network? The hypothesis here is that transnational networking facilitates the transformation of innovation into exporting, and form a moderating effect that enhances the benefit of innovation for exporting. An approximately representative sample of 38,430 ownermanagers of starting and operating private firms around the world reported on networking, innovation and exporting in the global entrepreneurship monitor. Analyses reconfirm that innovation benefits exporting and that networking directly promotes both innovation and exporting. As hypothesised, entrepreneurs' transnational networking moderates and enhances the benefit of innovation for exporting.