The effect of market orientation on business performance of Serbian organic producers

Abstract

In the current conditions, market orientation plays a vital role in the generation of superior performances and the achievement of a competitive advantage. Even though the concept of market orientation was evaluated in various studies, there are very few such studies in the context of the Serbian economy, and in the organic food industry there are almost none. Thus the basic aim of this paper is to examine the degree of practicing market orientation in the businesses of Serbian organic food producers, and to identify a connection between their market orientation and business performance. In the paper we applied a cultural perspective in the measuring of market orientation by using the MKTOR scale as a basis. On a sample of 42 surveyed producers, it was confirmed that the elements of market orientation directly and positively affect sales growth, market share and profitability, as well as overall business performance.

Keywords

• market orientation
• business performance
• producers
• organic food
• Serbia