Abstract:
This paper is exploratory and offers insights into the way in which market orientation (MO) is manifested in small entrepreneurial exporters operating in the global seafood sector. Market orientation is used (Kohli and Jaworski, 1990) for conceptual guidance and rigorously applied to two cases of highly internationalised small seafood exporters - an understudied context in both international marketing and international entrepreneurship literatures. The studied case firms are found to be highly market-orientated from start-up demonstrated by their founders' proactiveness and action-orientated behaviour to bring about successful implementation of market-orientated activities. MO for the case firms has been determined by their level of entrepreneurial orientation and the dynamic capability of the founder to mobilise and drive MO activities for export performance in seafood firms. The firm's MO process also extends outside the firm through using network partners to assist in pursuing MO strategies.
