Market orientation and dimensions of strategic orientation

Abstract

The specific domain of market orientation has been the subject of much scrutiny this decade. Both conceptual and empirical advances have been made to establish the marketing orientation construct as central to marketing decisions, business activities and organizational culture. However, a lacuna remains in understanding how market orientation may be related to competitive strategy. It is argued that market oriented activities and behaviours are articulated through strategic means which guides the firm in its product‐market. Conceptualized as “strategic orientation of the business enterprise”, competitive strategy is discussed as an important vehicle through which market orientation may be manifest. Six dimensions of strategic orientation are presented and statistical analyses, of data generated from a survey of medium and large industrial manufacturing businesses, specified “proactiveness”, “analysis” and “futurity” as positive and significant in their association with firms’ levels of market orientation. Discussion of these findings is made, along with various conclusions and implications of the study for executive and academic audiences.