Relationship Between Market Orientation and Firm Performance in Nigerian Insurance Brokerage Firms

This study examines the relationship between market orientation and firm performance in Nigerian insurance brokerage firms, focusing on brokers operating in Abuja, North Central Nigeria, and Kano, North West Nigeria. Market orientation, characterised by firm-wide generation of, dissemination of, and responsiveness to market intelligence, has been consistently associated with superior firm performance in international marketing literature. In the Nigerian insurance brokerage context, where customer needs are complex and product knowledge gaps are significant, market orientation may play a particularly important role in performance differentiation. The research employs a descriptive survey design with 120 senior managers and marketing practitioners in insurance brokerage firms participating through structured questionnaires. MARKOR scale-based measures assess the three components of market orientation (customer intelligence generation, inter-departmental intelligence dissemination, and market responsiveness), while firm performance is measured through revenue growth, client retention rates, and referral volume. Multiple regression analysis identifies the relative performance contribution of each orientation component. Preliminary findings suggest that customer responsiveness is the strongest market orientation predictor of brokerage firm performance, followed by inter-departmental intelligence sharing. Recommendations address brokerage firm management, industry associations, and professional development institutions on building market-oriented organisational cultures in Nigerian insurance brokerage. Keywords: market orientation, firm performance, insurance brokerage, MARKOR, Nigeria