TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Internal Market Orientation (IMO) on the application of internal marketing practices and employee job satisfaction.Design/methodology/approach– Data were secured through personal interviews with hotel managers and employees from 20 different five‐star hotels. Hierarchical regression analysis is used to examine the hypotheses put forward in the study.Findings– Job satisfaction is positively related with the practice of internal marketing. However, IMO is also a significant variable in explaining employee job‐satisfaction while moderating the relationship between internal marketing and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implications– Drawing the analogy from the market‐orientation research stream, this study reveals the importance of developing an internal‐market orientation before internal marketing practices can be truly effective.Practical implications– Service providers seeking differentiation through customer service and delight have to pay attention to their employees' needs and develop an internal‐market orientation to complement their customer‐orientation.Originality/value– The paper is important for both scholars and practitioners. It introduces the notion of IMO and its impact on employee job‐satisfaction. VL - 22 IS - 1 SN - 0887-6045 DO - 10.1108/08876040810851978 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040810851978 AU - Gounaris Spiros PY - 2008 Y1 - 2008/01/01 TI - The notion of internal market orientation and employee job satisfaction: some preliminary evidence T2 - Journal of Services Marketing PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 68 EP - 90 Y2 - 2024/05/04 ER -