What is it about?
This study explores how Cuban entrepreneurs succeed in a unique and challenging economic environment. It examines whether being innovative or market-oriented has a bigger impact on their perceived success. Cuba's socialist economy and the challenges posed by the U.S. embargo make innovation highly valued, but there’s uncertainty about how much entrepreneurs focus on understanding market needs. The research found that innovation is more critical for success, even though some entrepreneurs misperceive themselves as market-oriented. Surprisingly, being less market-focused actually leads to better performance.
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Why is it important?
Cuba presents a rare case study of how businesses operate in a closed socialist economy. This research highlights contradictions between established theories about market orientation and how Cuban entrepreneurs actually perceive and achieve success. It underscores the importance of innovation in overcoming economic challenges, while also revealing misperceptions that could harm customer satisfaction. The study has broader implications for developing entrepreneurial training and understanding the role of culture in business performance.
Perspectives
Cuba’s unique economic and cultural context makes it an intriguing setting to study entrepreneurship. As an author, I find it fascinating how innovation thrives in such a constrained environment. However, the surprising result that less market-oriented cultures perform better challenges traditional thinking about market-oriented business practices. I believe this misperception provides an opportunity for collaboration between Cuban entrepreneurs and international business schools to foster a stronger market-oriented culture that benefits both businesses and customers.
Professor Luis Demetrio Gomez Garcia
Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Perceptions and contradictions: a study of market orientation and innovation among Cuban entrepreneurs, Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, October 2024, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/jrme-11-2023-0190.
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