A Multiple Layer Model of Market-Oriented Organizational Culture : Measurement Issues and Performance Outcomes

Previous research addressing market orientation from a cultural perspective has typically used behavioral measures of this construct. Drawing upon literature in the fields of organizational theory and marketing, the authors develop a multi-layer model of market-oriented organizational culture. They draw an explicit distinction among values supporting market orientation, norms for market orientation, artifacts indicating high and low market orientation, respectively, and market-oriented behaviors. Based on qualitative research and a subsequent survey, scales for measuring the different layers of market-oriented culture are developed. Relationships between the different components of market-oriented culture are also analyzed. Findings indicate that artifacts play a crucial role in determining behavior within organizations. Results also indicate that a market-oriented culture influences financial performance indirectly through market performance and that this relationship is stronger in highly dynamic markets