MODERATING ROLE OF E-MARKETING ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF MARKET ORIENTATION IN IRANIAN FIRMS

In the modern world use of technology in the marketing activities of all types of organizations have increased, it is important to know the extent to which electronic marketing moderates the impact of market orientation on firm marketing competencies which are, in turn, related to firm performance. Drawing on the strategic management and information technology literature, the author designed a survey to ascertain how e-marketing moderates market orientation from the marketing competencies relationship on one hand to the marketing competencies and firm performance relationship on the other. One hundred manufacturing owner-managers in Iran were investigated. The results reveal that e-marketing translates more into firm performance when supported by organizational culture and behavioral dispositions like market orientation, and that e-marketing also moderates the relationship between marketing competencies and firm performance. The author also discusses the managerial and public policy implications of the findings. Overall, there seemed to be more emphasis on the production strategy factors than marketing factors as a means to gaining competitive advantage.