Internal market orientation as a value creation mechanism

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to re-examine the nature, aim and scope of internal market orientation (IMO) and introduce it as a value creation mechanism for the firm’s internal market. A service-dominant logic (SDL)-based perspective of the IMO notion is advanced, and the key steps and phases for value creation in the internal market are outlined.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper bridges the IM discourse with the SDL literature, and the latter’s implications for internal marketing theory and practice are discussed.FindingsDrawing on the premises of the SDL, IMO re-surfaces as an interconnected operant resource that can be enacted through performing three sets of activities central in the value creation process for internal stakeholders (i.e. value-identifying, value-generating and value-enhancing activities). These groups of relevant value-enabling activities required for IMO enactment are extensively discussed and their role in the value creation process is scrutinized.Originality/valueThis conceptual paper aspires to provide a managerially relevant understanding of value creation in the firm’s internal market. An SDL-driven understanding of IMO is advanced setting it as a value creation mechanism appealing to a wider range of organizations.