Organisational learning and value creation in business markets

Abstract

Purpose

This paper has three objectives: first, to analyse the effects of organisational learning on customer value creation capability; second, to develop a better understanding of how organisational learning influences business performance; and third, to examine the moderating role that market turbulence plays in the learning‐value connection.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the objectives of the research, and from an extensive review of the literature, the paper develops and tests a conceptual model on a sample of 181 Spanish manufacturing companies by means of a structural equation system.

Findings

It is demonstrated that the manufacturer's organisational learning is a direct and positive antecedent of customer value creation capability, understood from a functionalist perspective. It is also confirmed that this organisational learning directly enhances the manufacturer's business performance. In contrast, the paper cannot confirm that the learning‐value connection is stronger when there is high market turbulence.

Originality/value

The research is one of the first studies to examine and confirm the effect of the manufacturer's organisational learning on customer value creation capability, understood from a functionalist perspective. It is also pioneering in providing empirical evidence that market turbulence does not moderate the aforementioned causal connection.

Citation

Ángel López Sánchez, J., Leticia Santos Vijande, M. and Trespalacios Gutiérrez, J.A. (2010), "Organisational learning and value creation in business markets", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 44 No. 11/12, pp. 1612-1641. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561011079819