TITLE:
The Differential Effects of Customer, Competitor and Distributor Orientation Levels on the Commercial Performance of Agri-Food SMEs in Senegal: An Analysis Using RBV and Resource-Dependence Theories
AUTHORS:
Aminata Thiam
KEYWORDS:
Market Orientation, Commercial Performance, Agri-Food SMEs, RBV, Resource-Dependence Theories
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Business and Management,
Vol.14 No.4,
July
27,
2026
ABSTRACT: Purpose: The objective of this article is to examine market orientation by distinguishing between customer orientation and distributor orientation, to study the levels of customer, competitor, and distributor orientation, and to empirically analyze the effect of each component on the commercial performance of the Senegalese agri-food SMEs. Design/Methodology/Approach: We adopted a quantitative approach. The final data for the study were collected through face-to-face interviews with 255 SME managers and executives, with the support of professional interviewers. These data were then analyzed using SPSS and AMOS (version 22) software to test the significance of the relationships between latent and observed variables and to estimate the structural model. Findings: The study reveals that a strong distributor orientation negatively impacts the commercial performance of Senegalese agri-food SMEs due to the high margins demanded by distributors. It also shows that, although agri-food SMEs gather information on their competitors, their limited resources restrict their ability to react effectively, which explains the lack of a significant effect of competitor orientation on commercial performance. Conversely, the level of customer orientation has a significant influence on the commercial performance of these companies. Originality/Value: This article examines the influence of market orientation culture on the commercial performance of Senegalese agri-food SMEs. Its originality lies in the adoption of the cultural approach to market orientation, considered from a slightly different perspective than that proposed by Narver and Slater (1990). The study incorporates distributor orientation, deemed particularly relevant in the context of Senegalese agri-food SMEs where distributors are key players. The levels of customer, competitor, and distributor orientation were determined. Furthermore, the analysis utilizes resource dependence theory, which remains relatively uncommon in SME research.