The impact of internal marketing philosophy on a firm’s strategic orientation

Abstract

The study investigates the impact of internal marketing philosophy on implementing strategic goals to leverage an innovative internal marketing concept for business growth. In the context of firms’ strategic orientation, the organization’s development, market position, and practices used to promote the desired organizational behavior are being examined. The paper focuses on large companies in Greece, which belong to the retail, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. Moreover, these companies have been certified by “Great place to work.” A qualitative method via Nvivo software was used. Data were collected from 10 semi-structured interviews. Participants are executives with significant working experience and different managerial positions. The findings document the impact of the internal marketing concept on company development through policies concerning strengthening the organization’s presence and recruiting qualified employees. Moreover, the influence of the internal marketing concept on an organization’s market position with regard to a positive working environment and management style is highlighted. Finally, team environment emerges as a dominant trait in the organizational context, while values such as honesty, integrity, and reliability appear as critical features of the desired behavior. The study provides an updated managerial perspective by establishing a link between the theory of internal marketing and business process mapping. The results enable executives to focus on elements that better serve the implementation of strategic goals. Acknowledgment This study has been funded by the University of West Attica / Special Account for Research Grants.