Market orientation: an antecedent to the industrial manufacturer's power

This study looks at the relationships between the market orientation of the manufacturer and the sources of his or her power over the distributor. The effect these power bases have on the distributor's satisfaction with the relationship is also analysed. The aricle offers the results of a study, conducted in the ceramic tile sector in Spain, aimed at measuring the market orientation of manufacturers, their power bases as perceived by their distributors, and the latter's satisfaction with the relationship. The results show that manufacturers' market orientation has a positive effect on their reward power but not on their referent power, nor on their power of coercion. However, the reward, expert and referent powers of the manufacturer have a positive effect on the distributor's satisfaction