The Patterns of Strategic Orientation Over Time: A Retrospective Study of EO and MO in Small Firms

Date of Award

9-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Institution Granting Degree

Anderson University

Cedarville University School or Department

Business Administration

First Advisor

Emmett Dulaney

Second Advisor

Jerrald Fox

Third Advisor

Kenneth Armstrong

Keywords

Social sciences, entrepreneurial orientation, Kenya, market orientation, retrospective, small firms, temporal model

Abstract

Researchers have established the importance of the strategic approaches of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and market orientation (MO) to improve a firm's performance. However, very few studies examine the interactions of EO and MO over longer periods of time. Of interest to both researchers and practitioners are ongoing changes that occur in the use and intensity of EO and MO that result in a competitive advantage. This exploratory research uses a temporal model of these interactions using three time-periods between 2006 and 2016. The research used Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) to test a formative multidimensional model of EO and MO. This study is unique in that it uses a retrospective study method with established survey instruments.

The results for 52 volunteer responses from small firms in Nairobi, Kenya indicate that significant changes occurred in both the interaction and intensity of EO and MO that created a perceived competitive advantage. Using Hakala's (2011) typology, successful Kenyan firms show a pattern of alternating orientations of EO and MO over time (T1 - MO significant, T2 - EO significant, and T3 both EO and MO significant). Not all sub-dimensions were equally important in these findings. The most important were proactiveness with EO and customer orientation with MO. Small firms in Nairobi, Kenya perceived improved competitive advantage because of their choice of alternative strategic approaches over a ten-year time-period.

Comments

© Daniel R. Sterkenburg, 2017. All rights reserved.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Author Type

Faculty

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