Testing the Applicability of Narver and Slater’s Market Orientation Concept and Firm Performance in Botswana Companies

Abstract

In existing Market orientation research, the components of the market orientation construct are generally theorized to follow the conceptualizations of either Kholi and Jaworski (1990) or Narver and Slater (1990). This study looks into the nature of the correlational relationship between market orientation and firm performance using sample data from firms in Botswana. How Narver and Slater’s scale for measuring the extent of market orientation is investigated, tested, and used for Botswana Context. Two symmetric component measures of market orientation (customer orientation and Competitor orientation) are developed, tested in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. Result show a positive correlation between market orientation and business performance, and Narver and Slater’s scale was discovered to be better suited for Botswana context, when focusing on the symmetric component measures of customer orientation and competitor orientation. Academicians are thus provided with insights with respect to the content and symmetry of component measures of market orientation construct and their relation to Botswana’s firm Performance.