Bringing Marketing to Board Work: Conceptualizing Board Member Market Orientation
(A2026-132472)

AUTHORS

Anna Lunden, University of Turku; Aino Halinen-Kaila, Turku School of Economics; HARRI TERHO, University of Turku/Turku School of Economics

ABSTRACT

Over recent decades, market orientation has become central to marketing literature, yet its role at the board level remains underexplored. This study addresses the gap by conceptualizing market orientation at the individual board member level through a qualitative theories-in-use approach, based on 32 in-depth interviews with board professionals. It develops the Board Member Market Orientation (BMO) construct, capturing how top-level decision-makers interpret and apply market insights in governance, and identifies its key antecedents and outcomes. The findings contribute to strategic marketing and corporate governance research and offer actionable insights to strengthen board-level decision-making and organizational performance.