The effects of knowledge intensive activities on being customer-oriented: A research analysis In metalworking manufacturing

Abstract

In this study, we have constructed an original model and carried out a research analysis in metalworking manufacturing. The main subject of the research model is to investigate the customer orientation depending on the factors of knowledge intensive activities; and the aim is to contribute to businesses as well as academic researchers, about the related subject. The knowledge intensive activities are related with the learning capacity of the organizations and they are: systems orientation, organizational climate for learning orientation, knowledge acquisition and utilization orientation, and information sharing and dissemination orientation. To perform the research analysis in the related sector, we have formed a survey instrument after a detailed investigation of the literature and applied it on a number of 578 employees of the metalworking firms. Based on the results, it has been determined that the constructed model is significant (at the p<l0.001 level) and at the same time customer orientation has significant correlations with all the knowledge intensive activities (at the p<0.001 level). Additionally, the total explained variance of customer orientation depending on the knowledge intensive activities has come out as the value of 0.77. © 2010 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.