Abstract
Internal marketing (IM) is a holistic management process that utilises marketing techniques inside firms to achieve organisational objectives. Paralleling market orientation, internal market orientation (IMO) is an operationalisation of IM of interest to management. This paper develops a model that we call “Work-Life embedded Internal Market Orientation (WL-IMO),” which addresses the management challenges related to work-life balance and reduced well-being. Embedding work-life implications into IMO, this study initially examines how WL-IMO affects employee happiness, retention and productivity. The interplay of IM and work-life practices opens new avenues for similar research in the work-life area.
Collecting data from Chinese manufacturing sectors, this paper employed mixed-method approaches and validated WL-IMO as a second-order construct composed of six subdimensions. WL-IMO enhances employees’ intention to stay, their productivity and happiness. Results confirm the positive effect of IMO on employee behaviour, providing managerial advice to organisations with similar issues.
Collecting data from Chinese manufacturing sectors, this paper employed mixed-method approaches and validated WL-IMO as a second-order construct composed of six subdimensions. WL-IMO enhances employees’ intention to stay, their productivity and happiness. Results confirm the positive effect of IMO on employee behaviour, providing managerial advice to organisations with similar issues.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Strategic Marketing |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Keywords
- Internal market orientation; work and life; employee productivity; intention to stay; happiness; Chinese manufacturing industry