Market orientations in the nonprofit and voluntary sector: A meta-analysis of their relationships with organizational performance

In their effort to improve performance, many voluntary and nonorofit organizations (VNPOs) have turned to market mechanisms, hoping to learn and implement innovative ideas and methods that proved useful in the private sector. This article adopts the businesslike concept of "marketing" into the arena of VNPOs by offering a meta-analysis to assess the marketing orientation (MO) in the VNPO sector. The article attempts to answer three questions: (a) What is the theoretical grounding and rationality for using MO strategies in the VNPO sector? (b) Can the VNPO sector benefit from an MO approach? (c) Is the MO perspective applicable for organizations without "profit" as a main goal? The findings were compared with findings in the for-profit sector and were found to be stronger. Finally, using a second, methodological meta-analysis, boundary conditions on the MO-performance link were assessed. The implications for VNPOs are discussed and directions for future research are outlined.