Measuring Market Orientation in the Context of Service Organizations

Abstract

This study examines the market orientation-performance link in the context of service organizations by comparing different approaches for measuring market orientation. Focusing on 54 shops of a Japanese automobile dealership firm, this study measures market orientation through both managers' and salespersons' perceptions as well as both the MKTOR and MARKOR scales. The results of the analysis reveal that market orientation measured through salespersons' perceptions, particularly its cultural components, positively affects sales productivity. In fact, qualitative evidence suggests that salespersons' perceptions of market orientation indicate their internalization of market-oriented values, which in turn leads to continuous improvement behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]