Market Orientation Toward Various Customer Groups in Business Schools‪.‬

ABSTRACT The market-oriented organization recognizes the importance of coordinating the activities of all departments, functions, and individuals in the organization to satisfy customers by delivering superior value. The market-oriented organization continually monitors customer information, competitor information, and marketplace information to design and provide superior value to its customers. Theory and empirical research suggest that higher levels of market orientation result in a greater ability of the organization to reach its objectives. This paper extends the current research on the use of the market orientation strategy by investigating market orientation levels within college and university schools of business in the United States and comparing their levels of market orientation to levels of previously studied for profit business. Deans of business schools in the United States were surveyed by way of a national mail survey. All of the business school deans were from four year colleges or universities. 223 responses were received of 1052 surveys mailed, a response rate of 21%. Of the responses, 165 were from deans of public business schools and 58 were from deans of private business schools. The market orientation scores of these deans were compared to scores reported in the literature for business managers. Each dean was asked to provide market orientation information about two customer or stakeholder groups. One customer group was made up of business school students and the second customer group was composed of parents of business school students. Additionally, the responses were divided and studied in two separate groups, one group was public school deans and the other group was private school deans. The paper presents details of the research process, findings, and discusses the implications of the research for schools of business.