Effects of Market Orientation and Relationship Orientation with Suppliers on Business Performance in Animal Clinic Industry: Moderating Effects of Entrepreneur's Characteristics and Clinic Location

동물병원의 시장지향성과 공급업체와의 관계지향성이 동물병원 성과에 미치는 영향: 경영자의 특성과 동물병원 입지에 따른 조절효과

This study developed a model to empirically investigate the effects of market orientation and relationship orientation with suppliers on business performance and examine the moderating effects of entrepreneur's characteristics (working tenure) and clinic's location. The data was collected from 200 animal clinics which belong to Korean Animal Hospital Association (KAHA)'s national conference in April, 2007. Descriptive statistic, factor analysis, reliability analysis, and regression analysis were conducted to analyze the data using SPSS/PC+ 12.0. The findings are as follows. First, the market orientation of animal clinics influences significantly both financial and non-financial performance. When the moderating effect of entrepreneur's working tenure is considered, market orientation has significant effect on animal clinic's financial and non-financial performance. However, when the moderating effect of animal clinic's location is considered, market orientation has not significant effect on animal clinic's financial and non-financial performance. Second, animal clinic's relationship orientation with suppliers mostly affects the financial and non-financial performance significantly. When entrepreneur's working tenure in the clinic is longer (above 4 years group), relationship orientation with suppliers significantly affects both financial and non-financial performance. Meanwhile, when the entrepreneur's working tenure in the clinic is shorter (less than 3 years group), relationship orientation with suppliers doesn't affect clinic's financial performance but affect non-financial performance partially. In other words, when entrepreneur's working tenure is shorter (less than 3 years group), market orientation more influences on clinic's financial and non-financial performance while relationship orientation with suppliers does less. It is thought that their relation with suppliers and relationship orientation activities with suppliers are less strongly established and maintained yet. So, they primarily focus on market orientation strategy when entrepreneur's working tenure is shorter. Third, when animal clinics are located in non-metropolitan area, relationship orientation with suppliers significantly affects financial and non-financial performance. However, when animal clinics are located in metropolitan area, it doesn't affect financial and non-financial performance either. It is thought that animal clinics which are located in non-metropolitan area need stronger relationship with suppliers and need support more from them as most of suppliers actively work in metropolitan area not in the non-metropolitan area and animal clinics in metropolitan area can easily get better market information than animal clinics in non-metropolitan area. Lastly, while the effect of the market orientation significantly influences animal clinic's business performance continuously, the effect of the relationship orientation differently influences business performance as it is moderated by entrepreneur's working tenure and animal clinic's location. So, relationship orientation with suppliers can be selectively applied to improve the clinic's financial and no-financial performance. In summary, both of animal clinic's marketing orientation and animal clinic's relationship orientation with suppliers positively influence their business performance. However, entrepreneur's working tenure and animal clinic location moderate the relationship between market orientation and relationship orientation and their business performance differently. This study is quite meaningful to empirically investigate the effects of both of market orientation and relationship orientation with suppliers on business performance and examine the moderating effects of entrepreneur's characteristics (working tenure) and clinic's location. And, as this kind of study has been very few in the context of animal clinic industry, it helps practically understand the effects of market orientation and relationship orientation with suppliers on the financial and non-financial performance in animal clinic industry. Furthermore, as the market conditions in animal clinic industry have been in difficulty for a few years, this study can help improve animal clinic's financial and non-financial business performance together with their suppliers as business partners. Lastly, this study can help find mid-term and long-term cooperation between animal clinics and their suppliers. This study has some limitations. So, care should be taken when generalizing the results of the study. First, our samples were collected from only the animal clinics industry. However, a comparison of the results presented here with those form other marketing contexts (e.g., general hospitals) would be worthwhile. Future comparative research will enhance the generality of our contingency theory cross industry context. Second, this study found that market orientation and relationship orientation affect business performance. However, there may be other antecedents, such as internal market orientation and relationship orientation with customers. Also, this research did not consider other moderators, such as overall market conditions, competitive situations, and power/conflict between suppliers and buyers in the relationship between market and relationship orientation and business performance.

본 연구는 동물병원 산업에서 동물병원의 시장지향성 활동과 동물병원의 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동이 동물병원의 사업성과-재무적 및 비재무적-에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 체계적으로 분석하고, 동물병원 경영자의 특성 (경영자의 근속연수)과 동물병원의 사업입지가 이들 영향관계에서 어떠한 조절역할을 하는지를 분석하고자 하였다. 분석 결과, 동물병원의 시장지향성 활동은 동물병원의 재무적 성과와 비재무적 성과 모두에 유의적으로 영향을 미쳤다. 또한 동물병원의 시장지향성 활동은 동물병원 경영자의 근속연수에 따라 사업성과에 유의적인 영향을 미치나, 동물병원의 입지에 따른 동물병원의 시장지향성은 동물병원의 사업성과에 유의적인 영향을 미치지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 한편 동물병원의 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동은 동물병원의 재무적 성과 및 비재무적 성과에 대부분 정의 방향으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 동물병원 경영자의 근속연수에 따라 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동이 동물병원의 사업성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구에서, 경영자가 4년 이상 장기간 근속한 경우 관계지향성 활동이 재무적 성과와 비재무적 성과에 정의 방향으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 하지만, 동물병원 경영자가 3년 이하 단기간 근속한 경우, 관계지향성 활동은 재무적 성과에 영향을 미치지 않았고 비재무적 성과에는 비교적 약하게 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 동물병원의 사업입지에 따라 관계지향성 활동이 동물병원의 사업성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구결과에서, 비수도권에서 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동이 재무적 및 비재무적 성과에 매우 유의하게 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났고, 수도권에서는 관계지향성 활동이 재무적 및 비재무적 성과에 모두 영향을 주지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 요약하면, 동물병원의 시장지향성 활동과 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동이 동물병원의 재무적 및 비재무적 사업성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 전반적인 연구에서, 시장지향성은 동물병원의 사업성과에 일관되게 영향을 미치지만, 공급업체와의 관계지향성 활동은 경영자의 근속기간 및 사업입지에 따라 사업성과에 다른 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 즉, 동물병원 경영자의 근속연수나 사업입지에 따라 동물병원의 사업전략을 선택적으로 접목해야함을 알 수 있었다. 마지막으로 연구결과에 따른 시사점, 연구의 한계점과 향후 연구방향에 대해 논의를 하였다.