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Market Orientation

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The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management

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Abstract

Market orientation is marketing’s explanation of performance differentials and can be viewed as marketing’s contribution to business strategy. Market orientation research was initiated by Kohli and Jaworski (J Market 54:1–18, 1990) and Narver and Slater (J Market 54:20–35, 1990) and has more recently entered the strategic management literature. In general, market orientation is argued to improve a firm’s market-sensing capability, and thus improve market responsiveness, particularly in hostile and unpredictable environments. More nuanced research on the topic reveals that the performance effects of the construct’s main components – customer orientation and competitor orientation – are context-dependent, being affected, for example, by strategy choice and environmental conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing and Management, The University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK 5230, Odense, Denmark

    Hans Eibe Sørensen

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  1. Hans Eibe Sørensen
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Correspondence to Hans Eibe Sørensen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University , Stanford, California, USA

    Mie Augier

  2. Tusher Ctr Intellectual Capital, University of California Tusher Ctr Intellectual Capital, Berkeley, California, USA

    David J. Teece

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Sørensen, H.E. (2016). Market Orientation. In: Augier, M., Teece, D. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-94848-2_355-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-94848-2_355-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-94848-2

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