Understanding the effects of market orientation and e‐marketing on service performance

Purpose – The study aims to use the inter‐relationship between market orientation and e‐marketing in order to investigate alternative mechanisms through which both contribute to tourism services performance. Design/methodology/approach – Direct and indirect effects of market orientation on performance are examined using structural equation modelling in a sample of 216 tourism firms. Findings – Market orientation is found to contribute to performance through a dual mechanism in that it contributes both directly and indirectly, through e‐marketing, to the relationship. Practical implications – The results indicate that academics and managers should consider the inter‐relationships between multiple sources of competitive advantage when looking for explanations of services performance and particularly, tourism services. Originality/value – This is the first study, to the authors' knowledge, that investigates the inter‐relationship between market orientation and e‐marketing on service performance within the context of travel and tourism services.