The impact of product features on market orientation in technology-based new ventures

Abstract

Little is known about the role of product features in shaping market orientation as most research focuses on organizational features, such as interdepartmental connectedness, centralization in the strategy formation process, and the nature of top management teams. In this study we draw on the theory of resource orchestration and hypothesize that the protect-ability and the scalability of new products relate positively to market orientation in technology-based new ventures. We also predict that the entrepreneurial experience of founders interacts positively with these product features in driving market orientation strategies. On the basis of original field data from 156 technology-based startups, we find support for the positive relationship between product features and market orientation and the proposed interaction. These findings contribute to the ongoing research on the antecedents of market orientation by showing how founders’ experience and product features shape the resource orchestration process within technology-based new ventures.