Marketing continues to provide a focus for empirical research, not only to define the concept of market orientation, but also its impact on business performance. Although the proclamation that business performance is affected by market orientation has been issued continuously for more than three decades, only in the last decade have researchers tried to collect more evidence to empirically investigate the assumed relationship between market orientation and performance. Therefore, this article discusses the theoretical bases for the supposition that higher levels of market orientation lead to higher levels of performance. The literature review is highlighted here and a summary of the characteristics of 28 studies carried out between 1990-2000 are presented. Also, the key points that managers should consider in attempts to improve their organisation’s export market orientation and export performance are outlined.

Marketing continues to provide a focus for empirical research, not only to define the concept of market orientation, but also its impact on business performance. Although the proclamation that business performance is affected by market orientation has been issued continuously for more than three decades, only in the last decade have researchers tried to collect more evidence to empirically investigate the assumed relationship between market orientation and performance. Therefore, this article discusses the theoretical bases for the supposition that higher levels of market orientation lead to higher levels of performance. The literature review is highlighted here and a summary of the characteristics of 28 studies carried out between 1990-2000 are presented. Also, the key points that managers should consider in attempts to improve their organisation’s export market orientation and export performance are outlined.