Market Orientation in Practice (Case: The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited – Kumasi)

Marketing scholars have argued that market-oriented companies tend to provide superior value for their customers and thereby raise their level of satisfaction and loyalty (Kohli and Jaworski 1990, Narver and Slater (1990). Market orientation also leads to improved business performance. Since the seminal works of Kohli and Jeworski (1990) as well as Narver and Slater (1990) on market orientation several schools have undertaken studies to test the validity of the available market orientation measure and, in general have found them to be valid. Very few of these studies have however, been done in developing countries to explore the degree of firms market orientation. But they do not provide an insight into the degree of market orientation and the manner in which it is practiced in individual companies. Furthermore, they have not explored the perception of focal firm’s market orientation. The present study therefore contribute to the exiting knowledge on market orientation by extending the insight obtained from previous research by Appiah Adu (1995) and Kuada and Buatsi (2005) on the antecedents of market orientation in developing countries to a specific firm in Ghana. With a specific focus on the extending the insight obtained from previous research by Appiah Adu (1995) and Kuada and Buatsi (2005) on the antecedents of market orientation in developing countries to a specific firm in Ghana. With a specific focus on the extent to which the Cocoa –cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited – Kumasi (TCCBCG) places emphasis on the different dimenstions of market orientation. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Sample 1 The first sample was drawn from the list of the company. Out of a total workforce of two hundred and thirty three (233), eighty (80) people were selected from various on eight (8) market orientation antecedents was personally administered to the staff selected. Sample 11 In order to cross-validate the findings from the above. Data were obtained from a second sample. The sample frame for this group was the list of customers of the company within and around the catchments area of the company. From this sampling frame one hundred and seventy (170) customers were selected at random. A structured questionnaire containing forty one (41) questions was personally administered by a group of Marketing Students from Kumasi Polytechnic FINDINGS In general the results show that, the degree of market orientation in the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited–Kumasi plant is high from both internal and external stakeholders. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS As with most research, limitations associated with sampling size tempered the generalizabity of the results. Specifically, improved measures and a larger sample would have allowed for greater faith in the propositions and results. Secondly due to the limited time and financial resources, not all antecedents of market orientation was analyzed. For instance environmental factors that also effect market orientation was left out. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS – The result of this investigation will help to make managerial and policy decisions for improved understanding and practices of market orientation in TCCBCG and other related companies

Source: KNUST