Title: Market-driven versus market-driving behaviours: preliminary evidence for developing competitive advantage in high-technology markets

Authors: Stacey Barlow Hills, Kenneth R. Bartkus

Addresses: Utah State University, 3510 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322–3510, USA. ' Utah State University, 3510 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322–3510, USA

Abstract: Market orientation is considered an important means of achieving competitive advantage. While the concept appears to have particular relevance for high-technology markets, it has yet to be adequately examined in this context. Hence, the generalisability of the market orientation concept to high-technology markets has yet to be established. Additionally, while market-driven behaviour has been a central construct in market orientation research, market-driving behaviour has received much less attention. As such, the relative influence that each of these has on an organisation|s performance remains unknown. This study addresses these issues by examining the relationship between market orientation, competitive advantage and financial performance using a sample of marketing and senior managers from 164 diverse high-technology organisations. Results suggest that successful organisations are those that exhibit relatively high levels of customer-driven, customer-driving, and competitor-driving behaviours. Competitor-driven behaviour was negatively associated with success. Implications and future research are discussed.

Keywords: market orientation; market-driving behaviour; market-driven behaviour; technology marketing; high technology markets; competitive advantage; financial performance; high tech firms; competitor-driving behaviour; competitor-driven behaviour.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2007.014790

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.2, pp.140 - 156

Published online: 08 Aug 2007 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article