Market Orientation, Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in the Public Utility Companies

The study assessed the practicalisation of the market orientation construct in the public sector particularly the public utility companies and the linkage that exist between customer satisfaction, service delivery and market orientation. Survey design was utilized to gather data from 430 customers of the public utility companies in Ghana. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Results indicate a weak market orientation practiced by the utility companies. Consequently, customer’s perception of service quality and satisfaction with the services with regards to the case company was affected. Market orientation concept has enjoyed tremendous review in the private sector compared to the public sector. This study is therefore adding to literature by extending the findings to the public sector where customer complaints abounds. The findings of the study provide deep insights into handling customer issues in the public sector. The empirical evidence from this study provides strategic decisions that can be replicated to improve market orientation in the public sector, improve the way services are rendered and customer expectation of the services of the utility companies. Keywords: Market orientation, Public sector, public utility companies, Service quality, Customer satisfaction, Ghana