44 Journal of International Marketing The Role of Cultural Intelligence in Marketing Adaptation and Export Performance Peter Magnusson, Stanford A. Westjohn, Alexey V. Semenov, Arilova A. Randrianasolo, and Srdan Zdravkovic ABSTRACT This study examines how export manager cultural intelligence (CQ) affects the relationship between marketing-mix adaptation and export performance. From a resource-advantage theory perspective, the authors posit that export man- agers’ motivational and metacognitive CQ are intangible but valuable resources that influence marketing strategy and export performance. According to survey data from 153 U.S. exporting firms, export managers’ metacognitive CQ positively moderates the relationship between marketing-mix adaptations and export performance. Furthermore, export managers’ motivational CQ positively moderates the relationship between environmental differences and marketing-mix adaptations. The study adds to the theoretical understanding of the adaptation–performance relationship and provides valuable guidelines for exporting firms in the recruitment, training, and promotion of export managers. Keywords: marketing-mix adaptation, export performance, exporting, cultural intelligence I n its attempt to successfully enter Asian markets, Italian- based scooter manufacturer Piaggio adapted its Vespa to better fit the local environment. The “Indian Vespa” comes with a narrower floorboard to allow shorter riders to reach the ground more easily; drum brakes have replaced disk brakes to make it easier to change flat tires, which occur more frequently on India’s weaker road infra- structure; and a side footrest has been added to adapt to Indian women riding sidesaddle to accommodate their floor-length saris (Meichtry 2010). These adaptations to the Vespa were the result of a strategic decision based on analysis and understanding of a host country environment that differs from the home country. The success of such decisions hinges on the international marketing manager’s sophisticated understanding of local regulations, infrastructure, and customer preferences as well as the manager’s motiva- tion and willingness to make adaptations. The degree of marketing adaptation in international markets and its link with export performance has received considerable attention in the literature. On the one hand, marketing standardization is expected to reap benefits from economies of scale and reduced com- plexity (Schilke, Reimann, and Thomas 2009). On the other hand, differences in the cultural, economic, and regulatory environments may require an adapted mar- keting strategy (Cavusgil and Kirpalani 1993; Navarro et al. 2010; Sousa, Ruzo, and Losada 2010). Empirical investigations into the relationship between marketing-mix adaptations and export performance Peter Magnusson is Assistant Professor of International Marketing, Col- lege of Business, Florida International University (e-mail: peter. magnusson@fiu.edu). Stanford A. Westjohn is Assistant Professor of Marketing and International Business, University of Toledo (e-mail: stanford.westjohn@utoledo.edu). Alexey V. Semenov (e-mail: asemenov@ slu.edu) and Arilova A. Randrianasolo (e-mail: randriaa@slu.edu) are doctoral students, Department of International Business, Saint Louis Uni- versity. Srdan Zdravkovic is Assistant Professor of Marketing, College of Business, Bryant University (e-mail: szdravko@bryant.edu). Journal of International Marketing ©2013, American Marketing Association Vol. 21, No. 4, 2013, pp. 44–61 ISSN 1069-0031X (print) 1547-7215 (electronic)