Market Orientation

E-commerce not only has tremendous potential for growth but also poses unique challenges for both incumbents and new entrants. By examining drivers of firm performance in e-commerce from a capabilities perspective, the authors conceptualize three firm capabilities that are critical for superior firm performance in e-commerce: information technology capability, strategic flexibility, and trust-building capability. The extent and nature of market orientation is conceptualized as a platform for leveraging e-commerce capabilities. The authors test the effects of e-commerce capabilities on performance (e.g., relative profits, sales, return on investment) using data from 122 e-brokerage service providers. The results indicate that information technology capability and strategic flexibility affect performance given the right market orientation.

It has been widely recognized that marketing's interaction with other functional departments (e.g., R&D) has significant impact on new product success. However, little research addresses how marketing actually behaves in the process of new product development (NPD). Drawing upon marketing, product innovation, and organizational buying literatures, this study contributes to the literature by delineating the types of influence tactics adopted by marketing and investigating how the use of these tactics affects marketing's influence on NPD decisions. Data on 128 new product projects from 114 high technology firms in China were collected from R&D perspective via on-site interviews. The findings indicate that, from the R&D's perspective, both marketing and R&D seem to have equivalent influence on new product decisions. In terms of usage frequency, the most frequently used influence tactics by marketing are persistent pressure, information exchange, and recommendation (i.e., use of rational logic). Coalition formation (e.g., seeking the support of peers) and upward appeal (i.e., seeking support from superiors) tactics are moderately used. The less frequently used tactics are legalistic plea (i.e., use of rules and regulations) and request. Regarding the effectiveness of influence tactics, the results indicate that persistent pressure, information exchange, and coalition formation lead to higher marketing influence in NPD decisions. However, the use of an upward appeal tactic leads to lower marketing influence. Recommendation, legalistic plea and request tactics are unrelated to marketing's influence. Our results also show that the efficacy of marketing's influence tactics is contingent upon the degree of functional interdependence in the NPD stages and the degree of interdepartmental conflict. Information exchange and coalition formation tactics are more effective at the initiation stage of the NPD process whereas legalistic plea and persistent pressure are more effective at the implementation stage. We further find that legalistic plea is more effective but coalition tactic is less effective when the degree of interdepartmental conflict is higher. Findings of this study provide managers responsible for ensuring market-oriented NPD with a better understanding of how the influence of marketing in the NPD process may be enhanced. Given our focus on Chinese firms, they also suggest that managers need to be sensitive to the cultural context of marketing influence.

Uzbekistan's higher education system has undergone some dramatic changes in the past century, evolving from largely traditional religious colleges to fully state-funded communist-atheist institutions. Since the end of the communist administration and subsequent market-oriented reforms, the institutions of higher education (IHE) in Uzbekistan have had to reinvent and reform themselves again, as the demand for different kind of education increased. This paper puts the current changes and trends in IHEs into an historical perspective and highlights some important effects of the market reforms on the educational scene.

Demand for agro-products tends to increase every year. However, agro-industry products in Indonesia does not have a good competitiveness. This is because of not optimal competitive strategy mapping indicated by unfavorable market orientation. Companies that have made the market orientation as the culture of the organization will focus on the external market needs, desires and market demand as a basis for preparing a strategy to compete for their respective business units within the organization and determine the success of the company. Competitive strategy should be designed to achieve continuous competitive advantage, enabling companies to dominate the market, old and new markets. Based on the above, the study aims to analyze the influence of market orientation in improving competitive strategy on Integrated Agro Industry in Indonesia. This research uses explanatory survey method, as it will explain the relationship between the variables studied. Collecting data in the study conducted by distributing questionnaires. While the method of data analysis used in this research is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Based on the survey results revealed that the market orientation of the positive and significant effect in improving the competitive strategy on Integrated Agro Industry in Indonesia. Meaning that the higher market orientation, the better competitive strategy applied by the company, so it will increase the competitiveness of industry which have an impact on better performance. Market orientation is an organizational culture that leads to the market. The starting point of a market orientation is market intelligence. Market orientation focused on understanding customer wants and needs of current and future. PRELIMINARY Changes in the global era characterized by rapid changes in IT and technology industries, has led to competition among industries and companies are becoming increasingly sharp. Companies that want to control or survive on the market must face Hypercompetition conditions are conditions which, according to Ireland, et.al. (2011) is a condition in which the assumption of market stability is replaced by instability and constant change. Achieve competitiveness on a company if the company managed to formulate and implement value creating strategy or the strategy of value creation (Ireland et al, 2011). A company is said to have a competitive advantage if the company is able to create greater economic value compared to its competitors. The economic value (economic value) is the difference between profit expectations (perceived benefits) received by the customers with the cost of production of goods or services consumed (Barney and Hesterly, 2010). Driving factors of competitive strategy is awareness, motivation and ability. Consciousness (awareness) is a prerequisite of all actions or strategic responses that are taken by the company, refer to the extent to which competitors recognize the degree of interdependence caused by market commonality and resource similarity (Nemati, et.al., 2010). Awareness will increase as companies in the industry have high levels of resource utilization high similarity of the types and quantities, as well as competing on the same markets. Consciousness or awareness will affect the extent to which companies understand the consequences of actions taken or strategic response. The above shortcomings awareness can encourage competition (competition) is excessive and negative impact on the performance of the entire competition. Companies that use the model of competitive rivalry to determine strategic action or action tactics that will be expected to help companies successfully build and use their capabilities and core competencies to achieve and maintain market position and will certainly be reflected in the company's performance.

In the past ten to twenty years, governments in various countries have introduced or reinforced market principles in their housing systems. As a consequence, social landlords should have increased opportunities to adopt a more market-oriented approach towards the management of their housing stock. Nevertheless, in many countries governments still have a substantial influence on the social rented housing sector. In this paper we analyse the influence of statutory regulations on the man- agement of the social rented housing stock in four European countries and in Australia, in order to assess to what extent these regulations help or impede the development of a market-oriented asset management. We carry out this analysis in four areas: rent setting, sale of dwellings, allocation of dwellings to tenants, and maintenance and renewal. After an explanation of the term 'market- oriented' in relation to asset management, we describe government restrictions to social housing managem...

This paper analyzes structural changes and the sources of industrial growth in Indonesia between 1985 and 1995 by using the 1985, 90, and 95 input-output tables. It also investigates the changes in the pattern of industrial growth over the 25-year period from 1971-95. In the past three decades, Indonesia appears to have achieved a successful transition from an inward-looking, government-led industrialization financed by oil exports to an outward-looking, market-oriented industrialization based on non-oil exports, in which the turning period was during the 1980-85 period. During 1985-95, the expansion of household consumption remained the main source of output growth as it accounted for about one-half of total output growth; in contrast, the contribution of government consumption was reduced to a negligible level, signifying the declining role of the government sector in output growth. The expansion of exports was also a key factor in output growth in addition to the rise in export-oriented investments. It is noteworthy that export expansion was made, to a large extent, by non-oil exports, rather than oil exports.

This paper presents lessons from applying an innovative approach for linking smallholder farmers to markets. This approach entitled, Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI) focuses on strengthening the capacity of smallholder, resource-poor farmers to access market opportunities and actively engaging in them with the aim of creating an entrepreneurial culture in rural communities, where farmers "produce what they can market rather than trying to market what they produce". The approach focuses on fostering inclusion of rural women and the poor in analyzing and accessing market opportunities (domestic, regional and international), using a territorial approach to agro-enterprise development. The paper provides a general overview of the approach, the guiding principles, conceptual framework and steps in the ERI process. The paper also gives detailed examples of the five key components: participatory market research, farmer participatory research and its links to natural resource management, social and human capital, gender equity and participatory monitoring and evaluation. Lessons, experiences and challenges from testing this novel approach with a range of research and development partners in eastern and southern Africa are presented. The paper also summarizes some key research findings from a series of impact studies. This paper is a critical selfreflection of our intellectual journey testing and applying the ERI approach.

The technical report series present data and its analysis, meta-studies and conceptual studies, and are considered to be of value to industry, government and researchers. Unlike the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre's Monograph series, these reports have not been subjected to an external peer review process. As such, the scientific accuracy and merit of the research reported here is the responsibility of the authors, who should be contacted for clarification of any content. Author contact details are at the back of this report.

(IFPRI) was established in 1975. IFPRI is one of 15 agricultural research centers that receive principal funding from governments, private foundations, and international and regional organizations, most of which are members of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

This paper analyzes China's and Vietnam's performance in reducing under-five child mortality in a comparative perspective. Under the market socialist model, both countries achieved very high rates of GDP growth, but income distribution and the provision of key public services deteriorated. As a result, child mortality reduction in China and Vietnam was only partially satisfactory. However, although the former grew faster and is more economically developed, Vietnam's record in this area was markedly better than China's. We show that this apparent paradox is due mainly to two reasons. One is related to the relative status of women, which is better in Vietnam than in China. The other stems from the fact that the perverse side-effects of marketoriented reforms (such as worsening income distribution and degradation of essential public services) have reached a more advanced and alarming stage in China than in Vietnam.

This paper applies Narver and Slater's (1990) conceptualisation of market orientation to nonprofit organisations. The study constructs a reliable and valid scale of the market orientation in nonprofits in order to test the relationship between nonprofits' market orientation and their performance outcomes in the context of a developing country. We surveyed 211 Indian nonprofits and received 102 usable responses. We used principal axis factoring with oblique rotation to analyse the data. The scale was tested for its dimensionality, reliability and various validities. The findings show a positive link between nonprofits' market orientation and their performance in the context of a developing country. Market-oriented nonprofits were found to be more effective in achieving their organisational mission, beneficiary satisfaction and peer reputation than those that were less market oriented.

High performing organizations achieving the sustainable growth have attracted attention of so many researchers in strategic management. The characteristics, structures, cultures and environments of those firms have been surveyed by many researchers. Most of these researches have revealed the importance of organizational capabilities in achieving sustainable growth in those high performing organizations. In this context, this survey has emphasized the leadership, market orientation and organizational commitment as the sources of sustainable growth in high performing organizations.

Many accounts of urban governance emphasize municipal and neighbourhood scales, featuring local participation, social cohesion and the relationship between local government and residents. By contrast, our focus is the vertical governance processes of integrated urban policies. We concentrate on the effectiveness of the steering of urban policies. Using a Dutch city as a case study, we evaluate local stakeholders' experiences in the vertical governance processes of integrated urban policy and the extent to which their experiences fit in with the theoretical notions of multi-level governance or multi-scalar meta-governance and the EU principles of good governance. The key result is that Dutch urban policy incorporates dominant neo-liberal multi-scalar meta-governance, owing to the simultaneously strong market orientation and state regulation. The legitimacy of urban policy is brought into question when city authorities have very little influence on its contents but are judged on its results. The major lesson learned is that neoliberal centralistic steering in the core domains of local government that aim to achieve effective and coherent urban governance practices is counterproductive. E u r o p e a n U r b a n a n d R e g i o n a l S t u d i e s European Urban and Regional Studies 17(4) 355-369

This study undertook an assessment of market orientation in the Public Health Sector of Mutare, Zimbabwe. This study focused on five health centers in Mutare which are Mutare General Hospital, Sakubva Hospital, Dangamvura Clinic, Chikanga clinic and Mutare Infectious Disease Hospital. A total of 50 questionnaires were sent out and 35 questionnaires were returned. This represented a total return of 70%.The principal finding of the research is that the Public Health Sector in Mutare, Zimbabwe exhibits a degree of market orientation. The research also found out barriers inhibiting development of market orientation which are to do with people and organizational structures. The study found out that marketing as a concept in the Public Health Sector in Mutare is not well understood. Management tends not to understand the importance of marketing in a not for profit organizational setting. Lack of this understanding impact negatively in the development of market orientation in the Public Health Sector in Mutare. It is therefore the contention of this study that both staff and management ought to be trained on the importance of market orientation. There is also a need for management to be trained in the area of entrepreneurship as this would engender a culture that fosters market orientation.

This paper examines the emergence of market-orientated approaches to public participation in environmental issues through an exploration of recent empirical research into 'sustainable lifestyles' as a practical tool for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour. Using the notion of 'sustainable lifestyles', current social marketing policies seek to encourage behaviour change amongst citizens by identifying population segments with similar commitments to environmental practices as the basis for behaviour change initiatives. However, the use of static 'lifestyle groups' implies that that citizens replicate sustainable practices across different consumption contexts and this paper explores this line of argument through the use of data collected as part of a recent UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) funded research project on sustainable lifestyles and climate change. Through a series of focus group discussions, participants explored notions of sustainable practices using the home and leisure contexts as framing devices to explore issues of environmental responsibility and climate change. The emphasis placed on practices and context reveal that the comfortable notions of environmental responsibility and sustainable consumption in the home are often in conflict with the discourses of consumption reduction associated with climate change in leisure and tourism contexts. In many cases, these 'paradoxes' are explicitly referred to, reflected-upon and discussed by participants who demonstrate that notions of sustainable practice are mediated by practice and spaces of consumption. Accordingly, the paper argues that in conceptualising market-based approaches to behaviour change around the notion of 'sustainable lifestyles', researchers and policy makers need to address the role of context and recognise the importance of consumption spaces and the conflicts that may arise between these.

China has transformed itself from a planning to a market-oriented economy over the past three decades and has sustained a fairly long period of rapid economic growth, to which the contributions from innovation in science and technology (S&T) have become increasingly important. Then, how have China's innovation policies evolved to reflect the changing and supposedly better understanding of innovation by China's policy makers? The paper tries to answer this question through a quantitative analysis of 287 policies issued by China's central government agencies between 1980 and 2005 and of 79 policies introduced between 2006 and 2008 to implement the Medium-and Long-Term Plan for the Development of Science and Technology (2006-2020). China has shifted its S&T and industrial policy-centered innovation strategy and has pursued a series of better coordinated, innovation-oriented economic and technology initiatives that give greater attention to a portfolio of policies that include critical financial, tax, and fiscal measures. There has been a gradual departure from the pattern in which innovation policies are formulated by one single government agency, therefore steering China to a different and probably more promising innovation trajectory.

Although widely used, the Narver and Slater (1990) measure of market orientation has not yet been validated by structural equation modeling (SEM). Results of SEM suggest a nine-item, three-dimensional model of the components or subscales of market orientation: customer, competitor orientation, and interfunctional coordination. Covariances between the three dimensions in the fi nal model, however, suggest that the measures customer, competitor orientation, and interfunctional coordination can be considered as independent. A preliminary invariance test suggests that the three dimensions are robust across varying country groupings and organizational types. Implications for further research into market orientation are discussed.

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and building materials exporters better understand the unique market segments A mail survey of Japanese post and beam builders was conducted to measure their that exist within Japan,s residential post level of ethnocentrism, market orientation, risk aversion, and price consciousness. The and beam constmction market, identify data were analyzed utilizing factor and cluster analysis. The results showed that Japa- where

This paper examines the emergence of market-orientated approaches to public participation in environmental issues through an exploration of recent empirical research into 'sustainable lifestyles' as a practical tool for encouraging pro-environmental behaviour. Using the notion of 'sustainable lifestyles', current social marketing policies seek to encourage behaviour change amongst citizens by identifying population segments with similar commitments to environmental practices as the basis for behaviour change initiatives. However, the use of static 'lifestyle groups' implies that that citizens replicate sustainable practices across different consumption contexts and this paper explores this line of argument through the use of data collected as part of a recent UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) funded research project on sustainable lifestyles and climate change. Through a series of focus group discussions, participants explored notions of sustainable practices using the home and leisure contexts as framing devices to explore issues of environmental responsibility and climate change. The emphasis placed on practices and context reveal that the comfortable notions of environmental responsibility and sustainable consumption in the home are often in conflict with the discourses of consumption reduction associated with climate change in leisure and tourism contexts. In many cases, these 'paradoxes' are explicitly referred to, reflected-upon and discussed by participants who demonstrate that notions of sustainable practice are mediated by practice and spaces of consumption. Accordingly, the paper argues that in conceptualising market-based approaches to behaviour change around the notion of 'sustainable lifestyles', researchers and policy makers need to address the role of context and recognise the importance of consumption spaces and the conflicts that may arise between these.

Research emerging from different fields of organizational analysis has linked both market orientation and strategic human resource management (SHRM) to organizational performance. Although both concepts are premised on the management of organizational culture, no study has investigated their interrelationship or the dynamics between the two concepts and organizational performance. The findings of the paper suggest a direct link between market orientation and performance and indicate that the association between SHRM and performance is mediated by the extent of market orientation exhibited by the organization. Hence, it is argued that SHRM can be viewed as an antecedent to market orientation. These findings lead to a number of conclusions and implications for both theorists and practitioners. D

The purpose of this paper is to review past and present housing policies in Ghana, particularly the 1993 National Shelter Strategy (Ghana, 1993, Policy Planning and Evaluation ºnit, Ministry of ¼orks and Housing, Accra), in the context of housing supply for the low income majority. The current international policies embodied in the Global Strategy for Shelter (GSS) (UNCHS, 1990) and the Global Plan of Action of Habitat II (GPA) (UNCHS, 1996) have provided a framework within which current housing policies are to be formulated with the intention of cranking up housing supply. We suggest some characteristics of Ghanaian housing and urban society which demand different approaches. In that context, we recommend means by which current policies can be made more supply-efficient by building on strongly held beliefs and attitudes rather than through the imposition of alien market-oriented value systems.

L'apparition récente de nombreux travaux sur les "services autour des produits" paraît témoigner de certaines transformations actuelles de l'économie et des modes de concurrence. L' "orientation-client" confère aujourd'hui aux services une fonction stratégique et non plus seulement annexe comme lorsqu'ils ne concernaient que l'après-vente. On peut ainsi, en s'appuyant sur une vaste revue de la littérature, mettre en évidence les objectifs désormais assignés par les entreprises aux services autour des produits.

Market orientation has been a foundation of corporate marketing strategy since the middle of the last century. There is a need for a broader conceptualization of market orientation and a new corporate marketing model is proposed: sustainable market orientation (SMO). Taking a macromarketing perspective, the new conceptualization proposes the use of three key sustainable development objectives in corporate marketing strategy; economic, social, and ecological sustainability. Corporate benefits from a SMO are discussed, a model for empirical testing is presented, and a range of research opportunities are discussed.

Our paper summarizes several years ’ research experience in the field of customer satisfaction management. The key statement in our paper is that there is a need for further developing the classical customer orientation theory and the corporate practice based upon it. Moreover, there is a need for consequent realization of complex customer management strategy according to satisfaction-oriented approach. This paper takes an exploratory look at the methods of measuring customer-orientation and customer satisfaction as well as customer value to improve customer relationship and increase customer loyalty. Our customer satisfaction management model is developed based upon research findings of customer satisfaction measurement in different industries. This complex model with process orientation is unique in the literature.

Marketing academicians and practitioners have been observing for more than three decades that business performance is affected by market orientation, yet to date there has been no valid measure of a market orientation and hence no systematic analysis of its ...

Ð The introduction of the Washington Consensus involved not simply a swing from state-led to market-oriented policies, but also a shift in the ways in which development problems were framed and in the types of explanation through which policies were justi®ed. Key changes were the partial globalization of development policy analysis, and a shift from historicism to ahistorical performance assessment. The main challenge to this approach is a latent Southern Consensus, which is apparent in the convergence between East Asian developmentalism and Latin American neostructuralism. The demise of the Washington Consensus is inevitable because its methodology and ideology are in contradiction. Ó

The authors conduct a meta-analysis that aggregates empirical findings from the market orientation literature. First, the study provides a quantitative summary of the bivariate findings regarding the antecedents and the consequences of market orientation. Second, the authors use multivariate analyses of aggregate study effects to identify significant antecedents of market orientation and the process variables that mediate the relationship between market orientation and performance. In addition, using regression analysis, the authors find that the market orientation-performance relationship is stronger in samples of manufacturing firms, in low power-distance and uncertainty-avoidance cultures, and in studies that use subjective measures of performance. The authors also find that the market orientation-performance correlation is stronger for both cost-based and revenue-based performance measures in manufacturing firms than in service firms. On the basis of the findings, the authors conclude with a discussion of the implications for practice and further research.

A classification system developed to evaluate the environmental care orientation of companies and, more specifically, their strategies to deal with the environmental care requirements presrcibed by the market was applied to the deciduous fruit sector in the Western Cape. A survey was done to determine the attitude towards and status of, environmental care activities amongst deciduous fruit producers who have already obtained Eurepgap certification or who are busy preparing for the certification audit. A questionnaire was used and the responses were judged in terms of the guidelines of the classification system. The nature of the typical South African-European deciduous fruit export supply chain is that South African producers desire to supply the retail market at higher prices than that of the wholesale market. The producers are then confronted with the stringent environmental care requirements of the retail chains, who use the environmental care product image aggressively as a selling point in the retail market, acting like typical Class III market oriented institutions. The classification shows that the majority of producers try to comply with these requirements with minimum effort (Class I). The more progressive producers accept them as good agricultural practices to increase their production efficienc. (Class II). Some farmers participate in a comprehensive Integrated Crop Management (ICM) system to establish a culture of environmental care at farm level in a more efficient way. ICM implementation also helps to prepare proactively for possible changes in the environmental care requirements of individual retail chains. This seems to be the more effective strategy for the primary producer.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of internal marketing, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors on commercial banks' market orientation. Design/methodology/approach -A quantitative survey methodology was adopted to collect data from commercial (non-state owned) banks' employees in Jordan. A sample of 365 employees within seven of 13 Jordanian commercial banks was used. Data were analyzed using AMOS 16.0 to determine the interactions between the various factors. Findings -Empirical findings confirmed that internal marketing, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors had a positive direct effect on banks' market orientation. In addition, organizational commitment had a positive direct effect on organizational citizenship behaviors. Practical implications -Jordanian commercial banks should convert internal marketing as a strategy into their core operations and systems to meet employees' demands and the bank goals. This conversion shall make employees show their sincere organizational commitment so that they can express the attitude of organizational citizenship behaviors that are beneficial for the banks' operations and survival. Originality/value -The paper introduces a new perspective of the associations and interactions that take place between marketing and organizational behavior concepts which affect organizations' market orientation endeavors. While such perspective is considerably new and relevant to general marketing literature, the fact that this paper is one of few papers that focus on internal marketing in Jordan adds to its originality.

Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, this study addresses the dynamic capability-generating capacity of market orientation on firm performance. Whereas prior literature has examined environmental turbulence as a contextual condition shaping the market orientation-firm performance relationship, this study takes an internal approach by focusing on existing stocks of resources within the firm while controlling for environmental conditions. A conceptual model is developed that explains how market orientation can be transformed into dynamic capability when complemented by transformational (reconfig-urational) constructs, such as innovativeness. The empirical results support the authors— theory that the effect of market orientation on firm performance is strengthened when market orientation is bundled together with internal complementary resources, such as innovativeness. The authors discuss the findings in the context of varying stages of the product life cycle and at differen...

Market orientation has emerged as a significant antecedent of performance and is presumed to contribute to long-term success. To investigate the impact of this predictor, a meta-analysis was conducted and findings suggest that the relationship between market orientation and business performance is positive and consistent worldwide. One of the unique contributions of this research is a sample that includes studies conducted in 23 countries spanning five continents. The moderating effects of business objective (profit, not-for-profit), industry type (manufacturing, service), socioeconomic development [gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, Human Development Index (HDI)), and Hofstede's individualism cultural dimension] are examined. Stronger correlations between market orientation and business performance were found for not-for-profit compared to profit firms and service compared to manufacturing firms.

This study examines the effect of strategic choices, market orientation, and company size on two distinct dimensions of strategic management accounting (SMA) and, in turn, the mediating effect of SMA on company performance. A model is advanced and tested using structural equation modelling and data collected from a sample of 193 large Slovenian companies. The validity of the quantitative data findings has been appraised using qualitative data collected in ten exploratory interviews. The study's findings support contingency theory's tenet of no universally appropriate SMA system, with factors such as company size and strategy having a significant bearing on the successful application of SMA.

Purpose -Practitioners argue that the way they treat their employees has an impact on firm success. However, they frequently do not equate this with relationship building. On the other hand, the academic relationship marketing literature does highlight internal relationships as having an important impact on external customer relationships. However, this relationship suffers from a lack of academic empirical evidence. Neither seems to recognize the knowledge of the other leading to incongruence between marketing theory and practice. The purpose of this paper is to bring the two literature streams together demonstrating that the practitioners are talking about, and practising, relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach -Exploration and comparison of the academic and practitioner literature bases to elaborate on the value of relationship building within organizations. Findings -Competitive advantage can be attained through development of a relationship-building culture which includes building relationships inside the organization as well as customer relationships. In fact, successful customer relationships rely on successful internal relationships. Research implications/implications -A broad research agenda is outlined for understanding the nature of internal relationships and their impact on a firm's success. Practical implications -Organizational success can be gained through building strong internal relationships and the development of a relationship-building organizational culture. Originality/value -Links practitioner cases and reflections to the concept of relationship marketing, demonstrating further how relationship marketing activities provide a competitive advantage.