| Sumario: |
The purpose of this study is to understand how crossfunctional integration contributes to the market orientation of
a company that strives to increase market responsiveness. A
case study in the Brazilian beverages industry was conducted
and empirical data was collected through fourteen in-depth
interviews from various functions within the company. The
findings indicate that cross-functional integration enables the
company to achieve market orientation through two main
processes: product launch and customer complaints. Crossfunctional integration enables a company to disseminate
knowledge about organizational dynamics at both
departmental and individual levels, to generate
interdependency, to improve the awareness about the internal
needs, and to improve the internal knowledge about the
customer. This study shows that practitioners need to establish
cross-functional integration, as it contributes to the market
orientation of a company. Internal knowledge enables
practitioners to create value through products and services,
while still preserving the corporate image. It also shows that
cross-functional teams and meetings are necessary to achieve
market orientation in a company.
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