Understanding and Measuring Market Orientation and Innovation in Schools
University of Melbourne, Australia
ABSTRACT
Market orientation has been investigated in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in countries around the world and is defined as an orientation towards the market, putting focus on the customers. Past studies have shown a positive link between market orientation and organizational performance; and also that adopting market orientation principles will enhance the magnitude and effectiveness of innovation activities. The concept of marketing and market orientation is highly relevant to schools, particularly in countries like Australia and Indonesia, due to the intense competition between schools and within school systems. Marketing is now becoming more relevant in other industrialized countries because of the need to enhance the school reputation, attract students and resources, and attempt to understand the aspirations of the various stakeholders. A deep understanding of market orientation of a school compared with the region will assist school leaders in determining the policy and strategic planning. This paper conceptualizes the principles of market orientation in schools, which will allow a school to map out its strengths and weaknesses in the five dimensions: customer orientation, competitor orientation, inter-functional coordination, long-term-growth focus, and market intelligence.
KEYWORDS
Marketing, market orientation model, school, performance