The Mediating Role of Knowledge Management in Translating the Firm's Learning Orientation and Market Orientation to Business Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating role of organisational harmony and fellow-feelings in the relationship between intelligence generations, dissemination and implementation on business performance and explain how market orientation impacts certain aspects of organisational behaviour which in turn lead to the performance of service firms.Design/methodology/approachThe data set comprises 108 responses of senior managers within the logistics sector. The multi-level sequential mediation path analysis is used to examine the above mediating role.FindingsResults indicate that intelligence dissemination (ID), response implementation (RI) and business performance relationship is significantly mediated via fellow-feelings and organisational harmony. However, the relationship between dissemination, implementation and overall business performance is mostly mediated by fellow-feelings and followed by organisational harmony. Furthermore, when overall market orientation (intelligence generation, dissemination and RI) is used as a determinant of business performance, organsiational harmony emerged as the most significant contributor to organsiational performance.Practical implicationsManagers are urged to focus on building fellow-feelings among their employees, resulting in a harmonious work environment between functional units and market orientation organisation wide.Originality/valueCompared to previous research, this is one of the first attempts to develop an understanding of fellow-feelings, contributing to organsiational harmony resulting market orientation and, hence, business performance. Market orientation conceptualisations lump intelligence generation, dissemination and RI of business activities together but do not explain how market orientation impacts fellow-feelings and organisational harmony which in turn leads to performance. The authors specifically address this important lacuna in our conceptualisation and propose that ID and RI lead to fellow-feelings within functional departments and results in organisational harmony.

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Assessing the relationship between market orientation and business performance in the hotel industry – the mediating role of service quality

Journal of Knowledge Management ◽

10.1108/jkm-08-2017-0363 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 644-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Carlos A.F. Sampaio ◽

José M. Hernández-Mogollón ◽

Ricardo G. Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Service Quality ◽

Market Orientation ◽

Business Performance ◽

Structural Model ◽

Hotel Industry ◽

Content Type ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Positive Direct ◽

The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to explore the nature of the relationship between market orientation and business performance in the Portuguese hotel industry and to evaluate the mediating role of service quality in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A literature analysis on market orientation, service quality and hotel business performance was conducted. The structural model was developed, and the measurement scales’ items were generated. Working data were obtained by sending a survey to Portuguese hotel managers. A purification process was conducted, and the convergent and discriminant validity, as well the reliability, of the measurement models were assessed. The structural model was tested by conducting a path analysis, as well by evaluating the coefficient of determination (R2) and the predictive relevance indicator (Q2). Findings Research results show that market orientation has a positive direct effect on business performance. Moreover, results indicate that market orientation effects on business performance are mediated throughout the hotels’ ability to provide service quality. Originality/value Despite the large amount of research on market orientation, research on the hospitality sector has been conducted mainly using tools developed for the manufacturing and consumer goods sectors. On the other hand, little has been done to explore the nature of the mediating effect of service quality on the relationship between market orientation and business performance in the hotel industry. Moreover, despite the contribution of the tourism industry to the Portuguese gross domestic product, research on the hotel industry is scarce.

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