An internal marketing-based view of Porter’s model of competitive advantage: the conceptual framework
List of Authors
  • Mohd-Roslin, R. , Zainal-Abidin, H. A.

Keyword
  • competitive advantage, internal marketing, Porter’s five forces

Abstract
  • Organisational competitive advantage was often associated with external customers. However, internal marketing (IM) theory highlights the importance of employees in organisational competitiveness. IM treats employees as internal customers and their needs have to be fulfilled first before the external customers’. Despite the importance of human capital, there was no model developed to analyse the competitiveness of an organisation from internal market perspective, unlike Porter’s Five Force model that was used extensively to gauge the level of competitiveness of an organisation from external marketing perspective. IM states that attracting, developing, motivating and retaining qualified employees lead to employee satisfaction. This paper attempts to use Porter’s model to understand the nature of competitiveness from internal market perspective. The study also suggests means to assist employers in attracting and retaining good employees, thus establishing a strong competitive advantage from within the organisation. It was found out that Porter’s five force model can be used to measure the competitive edge organisation possesses through its manpower.

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