Internationalization in the digital era: export management and export manager's "new" role

This thesis explores the evolving strategic relevance of export management within firms’ internationalization processes. Through a qualitative analysis of academic literature, it investigates how export management contributes to the design, coordination, and monitoring of international activities, enabling firms to transform global opportunities into consistent commercial outcomes. The study shows that export management operates as an integrative capability that links strategic positioning with day-to-day operations in foreign markets. Rather than focusing solely on transactional tasks, export management emerges as a dynamic managerial discipline that ensures alignment between organizational objectives and the realities of diverse international contexts. A further contribution of the thesis concerns the effects of digital transformation. The diffusion of digital infrastructure – such as analytics, CRM platforms, automated supply chain systems, and AI – has accelerated information flows and reshaped coordination mechanisms across borders. Consequently, the export manager’s responsibilities expand from operational supervision to strategic orchestration within digital ecosystems. New competencies become essential, including data literacy, technological awareness, cultural agility, and the ability to interpret complex digital signals for decision-making. Overall, the research positions export management as a strategi asset whose importance grow as firms navigate increasingly volatile and technologically intensive global markets. Digital transformation amplifies its impact, redefining managerial roles and offering new pathways for competitive international growth.