Digital market orientation and organizational economic performance of service SMEs

Abstract

Market orientation is a high-impact factor for the success in the management of SMEs, especially in the digital business era, which is why companies are required to direct their management toward this segment. This study uses the deductive method to measure the relationship between orientation to the digital market and the organizational economic performance of service SMEs in a peripheral region of Colombia under a quantitative methodology. Likewise, the study is of a descriptive correlational type, and non-probability sampling is used for convenience. A sample includes 243 employees at the management level of 158 organizations in the region. The multidimensional MKTOR scale by Narver and Slater (1990) was adapted to measure the digital market orientation scale, while a scale designed and validated by the authors was used for economic performance. The hypothesized constructs were analyzed with the SEM approach using SPSS software and its AMOS complement. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between market orientation and the economic performance of SMEs (0.691, p < 0.00). Next, it was evidenced that SMEs have a low market orientation because they do not have technological tools designed to satisfy the needs of digital clients; they are unaware of the processes of the competition. Although they work in a coordinated manner at the cross-functional level, they show poor organizational performance.