Market orientation in Italian wineries

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the degree of market orientation that characterizes Italian wineries. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between market orientation and the main antecedents described in the most prominent literature. Relationships with new and different variables are hypothesized by our experience and informal contacts with owners of Italian wineries. The wine market is facing different challenges: globalization and the entrance of new important players have made the industry an environment in which competition is very fierce. Market orientation provides a strategic configuration useful to operate in such a scenario. Interviews with wineries’ managers confirm and even reinforce the theory. The organizational culture configuration of market-oriented wineries is put under the spotlight and significant positive relationships are found between openness and professional approach and Market Orientation and between Market Orientation and average price. Furthermore this paper shows that highly market oriented wineries are significantly smaller than their lowly market oriented counterparts.