Exploring How Managers Conceive and Practice Market Orientation in Near “Perfect” Food Markets

Abstract

This paper explores what it means to be market-oriented in food commodity markets, i.e., markets that are near “perfect” as characterized in economics. This is an almost neglected topic in past research on market orientation. By eliciting how top managers in food commodity firms conceptualize market orientation, we reveal that their understanding and practice of market orientation partly deviates from the prototypical views reflected in the market orientation literature. Findings are discussed and implications highlighted.

Key Words:

• Food commodities
• perfect markets
• market orientation
• seafood
• Norway