Conceptualising a digital orientation: antecedents of supporting SME performance in the digital economy

Abstract

Digital technologies have dramatically changed the organisation and marketing environments. Whether this presents an opportunity or a challenge for small and medium organisations depends on how these organisations approach it, strategically. Specifically, organisations that are guided by a combination of market, learning and entrepreneurial orientations are well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital technologies because they adopt attitudes and behaviours that support the generation and use of market insight, proactive innovation and openness to new ideas. We call this combination the digital orientation (DO), and present a set of propositions that facilitate its development. This paper creates value both through the conceptualisation of the DO and the outlining of the implications for strategic marketing management of understanding the strategic factors supporting or hindering the performance of small and medium enterprises in the digital economy.