Seeing market orientation through a capabilities lens

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how conceptualising market orientation within a capabilities framework may assist in developing further understanding of the construct. Design/methodology/approach Compelling issues in the market orientation literature relating to the nature of the market orientation construct, the relationship of the construct with performance, and identifying antecedents to market orientation are discussed. The capabilities perspective is explored in the context of these issues. In particular, a perspective of market orientation based on the market‐sensing capability is proposed, which may provide additional insights into the construct. Research limitations/implications The capabilities framework facilitates a more comprehensive approach to understanding the nature of market orientation, which captures the complex interaction of behavioural and cultural factors in the conceptualisation of the construct. Originality/value This paper addresses the need to examine how marketing capabilities may contribute to organisation performance.