| This dissertation studies the role of market orientation in the developing countries. Kohli and Jaworski's efforts in the 1990s provided the critical steps in the evolution of market orientation theory, upon which this study builds. Market orientation focuses on a business culture and activities that enhance business performance, producing superior value to customers and outstanding performance for the firm and aggregately for the economy. The primary purpose of this study was to empirically test this market orientation theory in a developing country setting. While research has demonstrated that this concept has yielded positive results in developed countries, few studies have been done in developing countries. A review of literature shows that marketing in developing countries has been studied; however, there is a gap in the research with regard to market orientation of firms in developing countries.; Using a sample population of one hundred and fifty companies in Venezuela, Costa Rica and Trinidad, data was collected and analyzed with correlation and regression analysis. In the first mailing, the response rate was less than 20 percent. A second attempt was made by telephoning the non-responding companies, and this resulted in increasing the overall response rate to 35 percent, or 52 of the 150 companies.; The findings of the study suggest market orientation as modeled by MARKOR is positively and significantly related to firm performance in a developing country setting. Secondly, firm performance can dramatically improve output, which can lead to economic development in these countries. This study has shown that companies that have adopted a market orientation strategy show an increased level of performance.; The implications of this study for future research include the finding that MARKOR and market orientation are reliable constructs applicable in developing countries, and that appropriate performance measures can enhance the well-being of these countries. |
