Embedding work-life practices into internal marketing: its application in the manufacturing industry

Although internal marketing and market orientation are critical requisites for business success, few studies have been done to examine the relationship between internal marketing and market orientation of small and medium manufacturers (SMMs).This paper aims to investigate the effects of internal marketing and market orientation on corporate image and organizational performance of organizational innovation of SMMs in South Korea. The measures of this study were developed and tested on 221 CEOs of Gyeongnam province in South Korea with a questionnaire survey. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis was used to assess the measurement model and hypotheses with AMOS 18.0. The study revealed that in small and medium manufacturers, internal marketing positively affects market orientation and indirectly affects corporate image and organizational performance. Market orientation positively affects corporate image and organizational performance. Therefore, CEOs should make efforts to satisfying and motivating their employees based on internal marketing in order to attain the high level of organizational performance.

This study was carried out to determine the Influence of Internal Marketing on Customer Orientation Behaviour of Hotel Employees in Nigeria. The objectives of the study include: to determine the effect of internal marketing on customer orientation behaviour of hotel employees; to investigate the moderating influence of personality on the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation behaviour of the hotel employees; and to investigate the moderating influence of job satisfaction on the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation behaviour of the hotels’ employees. Survey research design method was adopted for the study. 83 and 174 hotel managers and employees respectively were selected for the study from 20 hotels operating in different geo-political zones of Nigeria. Questionnaire was used for collection of data. Convenience sampling method was used for selecting both the hotels’ managers and guest service employees used for the study. The hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression. It was revealed that internal marketing has significant influence on customer orientation behavior of hotels’ employees; personality significantly moderates the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation behavior of the hotel employees; and job satisfaction significantly moderates the relationship between internal marketing and customer orientation behavior of the hotels’ employees. It was recommended that hotel managers should give much priority to internal marketing practice while controlling for the personality and job satisfaction of the guest service employees.

There has been a lot of research on implementation of the concept and examination of the link between market orientation and business performance. In these offerings, scales such as MARKOR, introduced by Kohli, Jaworski, and Kumar (1993), and MKTOR, introduced by Narver and Slater (1990) have been frequently employed without further investigation. Analogous to this academic endeavour, few marketing researchers have raised doubts regarding the reliability and validity of the extant scales and have also shown concern towards the definition of the concept. Apropos, the present study has been planned to examine the degree of market orientation from management perspective and also to develop a scale for measuring market orientation in the selected public and private sector banks, viz., State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and The Jammu and Kashmir Bank Pvt. Ltd. (JKB). The study finds: Significant difference between the responses of management with respect to Internal Market Orientation (IMO) and External Market Orientation (EMO). The management of all the three major banks, viz., PNB, SBI, and JKB is more optimistic with regard to the three dimensions of EMO than that of IMO. Significant impact of internal market orientation on the overall market orientation as compared to external market orientation. Positive and significant relationship between internal customers' and external customers' satisfaction; internal customers' satisfaction and business performance, and external customers' satisfaction and business performance. For improving market orientation in the banking sector, managers are suggested to take the following initiatives: Initiate crucial steps towards developing a healthy work environment — delineating employee expectations; discussing goal achievement, tracking performance and feedback; and devising an appropriate mechanism for follow-up and employee appraisal. Employees should be made the root cause identifiers and solvers whereas managers must be problem eradicators. Ensure parallel inter- and intra-departmental communication. An open door policy can be encouraged to communicate through various formal and informal channels so that inter-departmental work teams can perform efficiently. Conduct internal market research once a year to generate information pertaining to the job requirements of internal customers. Retain its employees through the successful implementation of internal marketing strategies which in turn demands proper understanding of employees' work-related needs, feelings, emotions and intellect, proper treatment as an individual, open and free communication with the management, and establishing and managing effective long-term employee-management relationships.

The front-line employees of the bank interact with the majority of customers and generally handle a wide range of banking transactions. It is common knowledge that customer satisfaction mainly depends on the process of service delivery and less on its outcome. The above ascertainments highlight the importance of the initiation of Internal Marketing and Market Orientation in a bank institution. This paper presents a research study, which sought to explore the relationship between the Internal Marketing and Market Orientation. In this survey, Human Resources managers of Greek banks participated and as a result the response rate constitutes the 67,3% of the total population. The discussion of findings contributes to understand how Internal Marketing and Market Orientation are linked to the adequacies of the bank and its eventual performance.

This conceptual paper examines the potential for enhancing job satisfaction among migrant workers in the Chinese manufacturing sector through extended internal market orientation. Migrant workers play a significant role in the sector, but they often face unique challenges that affect their job satisfaction. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of internal market orientation on job satisfaction in this context. This study aims to address this research gap by exploring the concept of internal market orientation and its relationship with job satisfaction among migrant workers. The paper highlights the importance of understanding the factors influencing job satisfaction among migrant workers and the theoretical perspectives that support the link between internal market orientation and job satisfaction. The methodology section outlines the research design, data collection, and measurement tools used. The findings and analysis section presents and interprets the results, discussing the statistical relationship between internal market orientation and job satisfaction. The implications of this study for organizations and policymakers in the Chinese manufacturing sector are also discussed.

Services sector is characterized by greater interactions among employees and the customers of an organizations. Satisfied employees or internal customers can lead to satisfied external customers; thus suggesting the need for calibrating HRM with marketing practices. The higher education sector in Pakistan is no different where increasing competition for quality students and rankings is putting strain on the organizations and their employees, especially the faculty. Internal marketing (IM) that attunes HRM approaches with a marketing paradigm is emerging as a new management tool. It focuses on addressing internal customers’ needs in order to improve organizational performance vis-a-vis external customers. Literature suggests that IM can be achieved through internal market orientation (IMO). Also, the more an organization focuses on IM, the more its employees will be satisfied with their jobs. This paper studies the impact of IMO on IM, the impact of IM and IMO on job satisfaction and the mediating role of IM between IMO and job satisfaction within the context of the higher education sector. For this purpose a quantitative study on 10 different universities and institutes having a management department was conducted. Faculty members and representatives of senior management were targeted for data collection. Results show positive relationships between IMO, IM and job satisfaction; thus extending the theory to the higher education context. From the results it can be concluded that IM is influenced by IMO and is as important for service organizations as external marketing. It further strengthens the notion that without satisfied internal customers in the form of faculty, higher education institutions may struggle to improve their quality, rankings, and financial performance

Information technologies are developing rapidly nowadays and globalization concept which shows up in parellel to IT has started to threaten the existence of firms by making competitive environment more intensive. Counter to this threat, businesses are trying to provide an advantage against their competitors by developing various of strategies. Internal marketing and market oriented approach are among the significant strategies which are developed within this scope. In the study, it is aimed to determine the effects of internal marketing practices and market oriented approach on performance in banks. Besides, it is examined whether internal marketing practices have an effect on market oriented approach or not. As a result of the study, it is determined that internal marketing practices and market oriented approach of banks affect their performance positively. Moreover, it is found that internal marketing practices affect market oriented approach substantially.

Internal market orientation focuses on employees’ strategic thinking and increases the effectiveness of the company’s response to any changes in the market. This orientation also allows the company’s management team to align its market objectives with internal capabilities in order to enhance the managerial performance. The goal of this study was to construct an integrative framework and explore the effects of internal market orientation, market orientation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction within the organization. The authors also verified the mediating role of market orientation on the relationships among internal market orientation, employee satisfaction (ES) and customer satisfaction. This proposed theoretical model was tested with the linear structured equation model (SEM), as being consistent with the partial least squares (PLS) path modeling assumptions. A total of 82 valid and dyadic questionnaires were collected. The results revealed that internal market orientation positively affects market orientation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction; market orientation positively affects employee satisfaction. Employee satisfaction has positive effects on customer satisfaction, but market orientation does not significantly affect customer satisfaction. Furthermore, employee satisfaction is the mediator for internal market orientation and customer satisfaction. Finally, according to the conceptual framework and research findings, this study concluded with some suggestions in terms of academic and practical implications for future studies. Key words: Internal market orientation, market orientation, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction.

کارکنان نقش پررنگی در موفقیت شرکت‌های خدماتی دارند و رضایت آن‌ها پیش‌نیازی برای رضایت مشتریان است. همچنین، توجه و پاسخگویی به خواسته‌ها و نیازهای آنان، زمینة توسعة تمایلات کارآفرینانه در شرکت را فراهم می­کند. علاوه بر این، مشتری‌محوری، ممکن است شرکت را به سوی تمرکز بر نوآوری و استفاده پیش‌دستانه از فرصت‌ها رهنمون سازد. از این­رو، پژوهش حاضر به بررسی این مسئله پرداخته که آیا در شرکت‌های ارائه‌دهندة خدمات اینترنت در تهران، بازارگرایی داخلی می‌تواند از طریق بازارگرایی بر گرایش کارآفرینانه تأثیر مثبت و معناداری بگذارد. بدین منظور، از روش توصیفی-پیمایشی استفاده شد و پرسشنامة پنج­گزینه‌ای طیف لیکرت بین 322 نفر از کارکنان و مدیران شرکت‌های مذکور که با روش نمونه‌گیری تصادفی ساده انتخاب شده بودند، توزیع گردید. برای تجزیه و تحلیل داده‌ها، از مدل‌سازی معادلات ساختاری استفاده شده است. نتایج پژوهش نشان می­دهد که بازارگرایی داخلی بر گرایش کارآفرینانه با ضریب مسیر 529/0، بازارگرایی داخلی بر بازارگرایی با ضریب مسیر 796/0 و نیز بازارگرایی بر گرایش کارآفرینانه با ضریب مسیر 337/0 تأثیر مثبت و معناداری دارد. یافته‌ها همچنین نشان می­دهد که بازارگرایی، در رابطة میان بازارگرایی داخلی و گرایش کارآفرینانه، با شدت 268/0 در نقش میانجی جزئی تأثیرگذار است. همچنین، نتایج آزمون سوبل، تأثیر میانجی بازارگرایی را در رابطة مذکور تأیید کرده است. علاوه بر این، مقدار ضریب VAF در صورت میانجی‌گری بازارگرایی، برابر با 336/0 به دست آمد که نشان می‌دهد تقریبا 34درصد از تأثیر بازارگرایی داخلی بر گرایش کارآفرینانه از طریق غیرمستقیم با متغیر میانجی بازارگرایی تبیین می‌شود.

PurposeThe purpose of this empirical paper is to investigate internal marketing from a behavioural perspective. The impact of internal marketing behaviours, operationalised as an internal market orientation (IMO), on employees' marketing and other in‐role behaviours (IRB) were examined.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data measuring IMO, market orientation and a range of constructs relevant to the nomological network in which they are embedded were collected from the UK retail managers. These were tested to establish their psychometric properties and the conceptual model was analysed using structural equations modelling, employing a partial least squares methodology.FindingsIMO has positive consequences for employees' market‐oriented and other IRB. These, in turn, influence marketing success.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides empirical support for the long‐held assumption that internal and external marketing are related and that organisations should balance their external focus with some attention to employees. Future research could measure the attitudes and behaviours of managers, employees and customers directly and explore the relationships between them.Practical implicationsFirm must ensure that they do not put the needs of their employees second to those of managers and shareholders; managers must develop their listening skills and organisations must become more responsive to the needs of their employees.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the scarce body of empirical support for the role of internal marketing in services organisations. For researchers, this paper legitimises the study of internal marketing as a route to external market success; for managers, the study provides quantifiable evidence that focusing on employees' wants and needs impacts their behaviours towards the market.

This study aims to empirically investigate the relationships that, until now, in a retail context, have been mostly conceptually based, within a ‘mythological triangle’, i.e. as the impact of Internal Marketing and Market Orientation on Organisational Performance. After the validation with SEM analysis of all three constructs, findings clearly indicate that Internal Marketing indeed has a positive significant effect both on Market Orientation and on Organisational Performance. Market Orientation has a positive effect on Organisational Performance. The role of marketing as a philosophy and function focusing both internally and externally has begun to mushroom within retailing in Greece – as in supermarket chains with nationwide coverage. Retailers recognise that when operating in fiercely competitive national and global environments, marketing can create sources of competitive advantage and effectiveness, even prior to being in the market place.

PurposeThis study aims to build on and extend the literature of market orientation by examining the impact of sub‐dimensions of both internal and external market orientation on financial and non‐financial performance in the local public sector context.Design/methodology/approachIn line with previous studies on market orientation, a quantitative research design was adopted. The data collection was performed through a mail survey of a sample of local Portuguese public organisations (municipality executive board members). Structural equation modelling was used as a means to analyse the hypothesised relationships.FindingsSix out of 12 hypotheses are supported. Concerning the sub‐components of external market orientation, the study finds that the dissemination and responsiveness of external information impacts strongly on non‐financial performance. In turn, external information generation and responsiveness impacts positively on financial performance. With respect to internal market orientation, results revealed a lower impact of different sub‐dimensions on performance. Specifically, the only dimension that impacts positively on organisational performance (financial and non‐financial) is internal information generation. This reinforces the view that there is a need to strengthen internal information dissemination and responsiveness to enhance organisational performance.Originality/valueThis paper offers original and unique findings and to the best of the authors' knowledge this research is one of the few studies addressing the role of internal and external sub‐dimensions of market orientation on performance in the local public sector. The findings of this study add weight to the recent emphasis on disaggregate approaches to (internal and external) market orientation‐performance link.

Frontline Service employees (FLSEs) are responsible for the effective delivery of services and thus are critical in determining how customers evaluate organizations. Given their focal role in the exchange process it is essential that marketing strategies and programs targeting FLSEs, ensure they (the FLSEs) deliver on organization’s marketing programs and objectives. To achieve employee engagement with strategic actions, organizations develop internal marketing orientation (IMO) as a broad strategic approach which is designed to systematically understand and respond to employees’ needs by delivering the right ‘job’ product. This is analogous to traditional market orientation (MO), where firms gather external information and then respond to external customers’ needs. From the perspective of Internal Marketing (IM), it has been argued that even though management may craft the most carefully developed organizational internal market orientation (IMO), the successful implementation of these programs are contingent on how FLSE’s respond to IMO as a general concept. It is therefore vital for management to develop IMO at the organizational level (i.e. organizational IMO) that is viewed positively by employees. However, to date FLSEs’ perceptions of organizational IMO have been under-researched, which is somewhat surprising, even though some studies exist, given that it is FLSEs who determine whether IMO implementation succeed or fail. To address this gap, this paper develops and tests a conceptual model investigating if FLSE perception of organizational IMO impact on their job satisfaction (JS) and organizational identification (OI) and whether these in turn impacts on their customer oriented behaviors (COB) which is the ultimate focus of implementing IMO targeting FLSEs.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of internal marketing and market orientation on organizational performance based on the balanced scorecard (BSC).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional research design, drawing upon a questionnaire survey, was used to collect data from a sample of restaurants. Structural equation modeling was performed to test the relationship among the research variables using findings from the 164 participants.FindingsThe results revealed that internal marketing positively influenced market orientation and performance. In addition, market orientation was a direct antecedent of performance.Originality/valueThe findings provide important academic, practical and political implications for restaurant industry.

Internal market orientation focuses on employees’ strategic thinking and increases the effectiveness of the company’s response to any changes in the market. This orientation also allows the company’s management team to align its market objectives with internal capabilities in order to enhance the managerial performance. The goal of this study was to construct an integrative framework and explore the effects of internal market orientation, market orientation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction within the organization. The authors also verified the mediating role of market orientation on the relationships among internal market orientation, employee satisfaction (ES) and customer satisfaction. This proposed theoretical model was tested with the linear structured equation model (SEM), as being consistent with the partial least squares (PLS) path modeling assumptions. A total of 82 valid and dyadic questionnaires were collected. The results revealed that internal market orientation positively affects market orientation, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction; market orientation positively affects employee satisfaction. Employee satisfaction has positive effects on customer satisfaction, but market orientation does not significantly affect customer satisfaction. Furthermore, employee satisfaction is the mediator for internal market orientation and customer satisfaction. Finally, according to the conceptual framework and research findings, this study concluded with some suggestions in terms of academic and practical implications for future studies. Key words: Internal market orientation, market orientation, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction.