Market orientation and business performance : some European evidence

Abstract

While market orientation has almost been taken for granted by both academics and some practitioners, attempts to define and operationalize the construct have been very limited. Moreover, efforts to link market orientation to business performance have been few and far between. Recent work in the USA has led to the development of a scale to measure market orientation in organizations, and this measure has also been positively linked to performance. Describes efforts to measure the level of market orientation in samples of British and Maltese firms. Confirms the reliability of the measure, and tests some aspects of its validity. While the link between market orientation and firm performance is not a strong one, it is indeed significant. Discusses implications of the studies, and identifies some avenues for further research.