The Influence of Market Orientation on Strategic Success: Empirical Evidence from Tourism Institutions in Duhok Governorate in Iraq

Abstract

 This study explores the dimensions of market orientation and their impact on strategic success in the tourism segment. A descriptive-analytical approach was employed, with random sampling adopted due to accessibility challenges instead of surveying the entire population of tourism hotels in the Duhok Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Out of 110 distributed questionnaires, eighty-six were completed and analyzed. The hypotheses were examined using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Smart-PLS, a suitable instrument for such models. The results showed that customer orientation, competitor orientation, and cross-functional integration each have a positive and statistically significant influence on strategic success, with significance confirmed at the 0.05 level. Among these, customer orientation confirmed the strongest impact, followed by cross-functional integration and competitor orientation. Based on these discoveries, the study suggests that hospitality directors prioritize customer orientation as the key driver of strategic success, while also highlighting the importance of monitoring and evaluating competitors’ strategies and market positions to sustain competitive advantage.