Social media adoption and export intensity: the moderating role of firm size

What is it about?

Social media (SM) networks offer a golden opportunity for firms that particularly engage in international activities to set up sustainable customer relationship and improve competitiveness. This study examines the influence of SM adoption on the export intensity of firms listed on Borsa Istanbul for the years 2010 to 2020. We use Social Media Index (SMI) to measure SM adoption and firm size as a moderator on exploring the interaction of SM and export intensity. We employ panel data analysis to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that the SM adoption has a positive and significant effect on the export intensity. The firm size positively moderates the interaction of SM adoption and export intensity, indicating that large firms benefit more from the SM in increasing export performance. The findings reflect high potential of export intensity improvement through right SM adoption policies in emerging markets.

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