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Although progress has been made in understanding market‐driven businesses from a theoretical perspective, relatively few empirical studies have addressed the capabilities needed to become market‐driven and the performance advantages accruing to firms possessing these capabilities. One of the barriers faced has been in defining what is meant by the term “market‐driven”. Develops a multi‐dimensional measure useful for assessing the degree to which a firm is market‐driven. Presents evidence that market‐driven business units developed higher levels of six vital marketing capabilities (in the areas of market research, pricing, product development, channels, promotion, and market management) than their less market‐driven rivals and significantly outperformed these rival business units on four measures of organizational performance.

The purpose of this paper is to extend the literature on market-driven and market-driving management and analyzes the Benetton’s market orientation change from a market-driving to a market-driven orientation. Additionally, this study uses longitudinal data to measure the degree of success of the market-driven orientation.

The study is based on a qualitative case study method and it discusses how Benetton has moved from a market-driving to a market-driven orientation.

The paper analyzes the principal transformations the Benetton Group has gone through to implement a market-driven orientation, including the delocalization of the manufacturing and of trusted suppliers; the downstream integration process; the adoption of a flexible, efficient and responsive logistics; the implementation of a modern information systems infrastructure. Revenues data show that the company has benefited of the new orientation, but only in the short-run. Moreover, the early adoption of the market-driven orientation by competing firms (e.g. Zara) and the economic environment seem to play an influence on the performance of market-driven companies.

The single case study approach may limit the generalizability of the findings. However, this case study is unique and of high importance for managers in different industries.

Although some studies have discussed the benefits of market-driven and market-driving orientations, no study has analysed how companies move from a market-driving to a market-driven orientation. Additionally, existing studies have proved market orientation’s influence on business performance using static measures. This study uses longitudinal data to show the effect of market-driven orientation on a company’s long-term competitive advantage.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through a comparative historical analysis, the impact of a shift to a marketing‐driven (business‐oriented) philanthropic funding structure on NGOs, international businesses that fund charities, and the recipients of the funding for a water pump system in southern Africa.

The study deconstructs and dissects the introduction and acceptance of the PlayPumps water pump system by generating four historical funding‐structure models that typified the philanthropic funding at the time. Each time period is critically examined to investigate how changes toward marketing‐driven philanthropy affected the viability of the project.

The key finding is that by shifting to a marketing‐driven (business‐oriented) philanthropic funding structure, NGOs risk fundamentally disconnecting the funders and the recipients of the funding. Serious concerns arise regarding the role of businesses in driving the “overcommercialisation” of marketing‐driven philanthropy.

The funding‐structure models highlight some of the hidden costs of marketing‐driven philanthropic funding, but do not show what funding structure would be most efficient in better connecting international businesses and consumers with the charities they are supporting.

This analysis examines the underexplored intersection of business, marketing, consumerism and philanthropy.

Previous research studying larger market-driving businesses argues that successful entrepreneurs intuitively show market-driving capabilities. Even though market-driving is acknowledged as entrepreneurial action and practice, this phenomenon has rarely been studied from a micro-business perspective. Representing more than 40% of all food businesses in Norway, micro-businesses contribute significantly to both value creation and variety in the marketplace, and this study addresses the existing research gap by examining market-driving practices in food micro-businesses in a competitive Norwegian grocery market.

The study employs a multiple-case-study approach with four pioneering food micro-businesses within the Norwegian local food sector. Data collected during in-depth interviews with the individual founder-managers provide insight into understanding market-driving practices through the lens of entrepreneurial orientation.

The findings suggest that food micro-businesses are disrupting the grocery market through their pioneering practices. A three-pillared framework for market-driving practices in food micro-businesses was developed: (1) taking the risk and following their passion, (2) innovativeness led by a passionate personal value proposition, and (3) proactively and perseveringly building a new category.

The study offers a novel attempt to explore and conceptualize market-driving practices in a micro-business context. The findings present a new framework for market-driving contextualized in the local food sector, representing an under-investigated area in micro-business and enterprise development.

Links the concept of market‐driven business strategies with the design of production systems. It draws upon the case of a firm which, during the last decade, changed its strategy from being “technology led” to “market driven”. The research, based on interdisciplinary fieldwork involving long‐term participant observation, investigated the factors which contribute to the successful design and implementation of flexible production systems in electronics assembly. These investigations were conducted in collaboration with a major computer manufacturer, with other electronics firms being studied for comparison. The research identified a number of strategies and actions seen as crucial to the development of efficient flexible production systems, namely: effective integration of subsystems, development of appropriate controls and performance measures, compatibility between production system design and organization structure, and the development of a climate conducive to organizational change. Overall, the analysis suggests that in the electronics industry there exists an extremely high degree of environmental complexity and turbulence. This serves to shape the strategic, technical and social structures that are developed to match this complexity, examples of which are niche marketing, flexible manufacturing and employee harmonization.

Measurement of customer satisfaction is integral to a culture of continuous improvement. But Nortel, the telecommunications multinational has taken it a step further in developing a practical process and tool kit for the enhancement of customer loyalty through customer value management for competitive advantage.

The ability of business marketers to monitor, strategically adopt and manage new technologies is an important predictor of long‐term competitiveness. Expanding on recent work this paper develops a framework linking the technical knowledge of a firm’s managers to its ability to gain and hold competitive advantage. This paper presents the proposition that market driven firms with technically knowledgeable managers should be better positioned to gain and hold competitive advantage. Implications for firm strategy are discussed, from both a procurement and marketing perspective.

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate branding and market driving. This is achieved by focusing on key dimensions of brand identity such as brand values and staff behaviours, while acknowledging the role of vision and organisational culture. The links between these brand constituents and the actual activities of the firm in a market are explored through interactions with stakeholders.

This research is based on an in‐depth case study of IKEA at a corporate level and its local market activities in Russia. The single‐case approach is used to generate insights into how corporate branding is related to market driving practices and to identify the mechanisms of market driving in the Russian market.

The corporate brand provides a further source of the “leap” in customer value recognised as a requirement for a market driving approach. Through a case study of IKEA in Russia it is shown that the core values of the brand guide both the behaviour and activities of internal stakeholders and the relationships with external stakeholders, and the interactions between the corporate “global” brand values and local market level activities are explored.

The paper provides insights on the role of a corporate brand as a driving force of market driving from a broad stakeholder perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the proactive market orientation approach and business performance in retail banking.

Based on a theoretical discussion, empirical research was conducted to test the proposed relationship. Multiple item indicators were employed to measure the constructs.

Results from the study provide empirical support, suggesting that the proactive market orientation approach has a positive influence on business performance.

The study has pondered the relationship between the proactive market orientation approach and business performance, while other factors that have an influence on business performance have not been considered.

Research results suggest that the proactive market orientation philosophy in the banking sector can be viewed as a threshold factor in order to increase business performance.

The present study provides useful information on driving market strategies in retail banking.

Asserts that there are two forces at work in the business environment that are requiring organizations to rethink their business models: the power of customers and changes in technology. Suggests that companies are moving away from customer‐relationship‐management to customer‐managed relationships. Discusses how successful manufacturing businesses adapt to “high pressure” markets. These organizations leverage advanced manufacturing technologies, such as flexible tooling, computer‐aided design and computer‐integrated manufacturing control systems, to significantly improve their strategic marketing capabilities.