The dimensionality of the market orientation construct

Market orientation is the implementation of the marketing concept and the organisation-wide creation of customer value. While there have been various conceptualisations and operationalisations of the market orientation construct, marketing academics have focused on a set of information-processing activities that managers and employees use to create a superior customer value provision to competitors. Moreover, although most researchers have studied market orientation as a multi-dimensional construct, others have used uni-dimensional approaches. In this literature review, the different approaches of market orientation are explored; plus, some recommendations are made about why marketing academics should not study market orientation as a uni-dimensional construct (based on conceptual and operational problems). That is, regardless of whether scholars investigate market orientation as a corporate culture or a set of firm-level behaviours (among other forms), there are several facets of the market orientation construct. This paper ends with some directions for future research.