%0 Journal Article
%T What is the Relationship Between Marketing Background Expertise and Internal Market Orientation?
%A Gyepi-Garbrah, Theophilus Francis
%A Asamoah, Emmanuel S.
%J International Journal of Contemporary Management
%V 2015
%R 10.4467/24498939IJCM.15.012.4491
%N Numer 14(4)
%P 91-109
%K Internal Market Orientation, upper echelon, marketing background, senior executives, public sector
%@ 2449-8920
%D 2016
%U https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/international-journal-of-contemporary-management/artykul/what-is-the-relationship-between-marketing-background-expertise-and-internal-market-orientation
%X 
	Background. Internal Market Orientation is a philosophy that is meant to create a seamless relationship among different functional areas in the organisation, with a view to achieving an improved organisations’ performance. However, there is an on-going debate grounded on the upper echelon theory, with regard to how leaders’ background characteristic influence firm performance; though with limited empirical support.

	Research aims. This paper seeks to assess the relationship between marketing background expertise of senior executives and Internal Market Orientation, within the context of the public sector.

	Methodology. Survey data was collected from senior executives of the public sector of Ghana, comprising 111 organisations; using a structured questionnaire. The hypothesized relationships between Marketing background expertise and the primary dimensions of Internal Market Orientation were tested through Pearson’s product-moment correlation analysis.

	Key findings. Data analyses reveal lack of support for the hypothesized relationships between marketing background expertise and the primary dimensions of Internal Market Orientation. However, the study provides empirical support for the on-going discourse on leadership characteristics and firm performance, in the context of the public sector; where research on Internal Marketing is limited. It also refines these discussions from both a non-western and a developing economy context.