Internal Market Orientation and strategy implementation

Managing People within organisations is a complex and intricate challenge that goes beyond organizational theories and Human Resource Management departments. For this reason, much insight can be gained from complementing the mainstream trends with other research fields. Following this premise, this Chapter shall approach People’s Management issues by focusing on the role Internal Marketing Orientation (IMO) as a key element that contribute to link the strategy design and its implementation. Internal Marketing and in particular IMO is an emerging paradigm that enables organisations to focus on the needs and wants of their employees by defining them as primary internal clients. To have the right people in the right job is crucial. Hence the importance of strategic design and implementation when considering Internal Marketing and when managing people within organizational settings. These concepts are interdependent and should not be seen within functional or separate organizational and research silos. Consequently, in order to be successful, any decided strategic direction must rely first and foremost on the alignment of its employees with its vision, mission and overall corporate objectives: ultimately with its business model. This focus on internal clients, through the alignment of goals and expectations, is what mainly makes possible the delivering of the promise of value offered by companies and organizations and influences not only the management of human capital but also the management of knowledge within organizational boundaries. In doing so, it has been empirically analyzed how IMO contributes to improve job satisfaction and employees’ commitment and therefore, the external market orientation and the satisfaction of final customers