Do social and professional relations matter when firms make decisions on export destinations? The Italian case of the Montefalco wine cluster

A wide literature on economics and management analyses the determinants of firms' decisions on export. However, few contributions investigated the role knowledge flows across firms co-localised within clusters play on decisions about export destinations. This paper investigates the link between multiple network relationships across firms and their decisions about countries of export destination. The analysis is based on data collected through interviews and the administration of a questionnaire to 41 wineries in the Montefalco wine cluster, Italy and data are examined using Social Network Analysis and Exponential Random Graph Models. Results show that the friendship network, the professional network, and similarity in terms of size and experience are relevant drivers of firms' decisions about where to export. The work suggests novel insights on research on export, on clusters of co-located firms and on the wine industry.