Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology based on the market orientation (MO) and innovation orientation (IO) of firms, and to illustrate the extent to which public housing companies (PHCs) fit into this framework.

Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study of 11 PHCs in central Sweden was conducted to classify their positions in the typology. Interviews with semi-structured and open-ended questions were used to collect the data.

Findings – Four PHC types were identified by combining high and low MO and IO. This study offers insights on the importance of combining MO and IO. The overall findings show that MO and IO combination is not static and must be handled according to context. The MO-IO typology developed could be tested in a quantitative study on a larger sample of public or combined public and private housing companies.

Research limitations/implications – An empirical study comparing public and private housing companies on the basis of the proposed typology in relation to economic contingencies in the environment would further knowledge in this area.

Practical implications – The current study gives managers an indication of their position in the typology, which can be used as a tool for improving performance.

Originality/value – This paper describes PHCs within a proposed typological framework.

This study examines how companies in declining markets operate in the context of market intelligence, responding to customer needs and applying them tostrategic performance. A quantitative survey was sent to 214 public housing companies. The results indicate that market intelligence creates commitment and is significant. A positive relationship was found between data gathering, dissemination, and responsiveness, which indicates that the companies comprehend market needs but companies have difficult to manage construction strategies that improve strategic performance. There was a low value of strategic performance; a link between market intelligence and the chosen strategy was not confirmed. Companies know what the market wants but base their decision on previous strategic performanceon economic conditions in the municipality instead.

The purpose of this study is first to examine and comparesustainable strategies within public and private housing companies in decliningmarkets in central Sweden. Then, the study evaluates the impact of newlegislation that requires public housing companies to act in a ‘businesslike’way, in the same way as a long-term private company. A quantitative studywas conducted based on a survey sent to 72 housing companies. The resultsshow that public housing companies are more strategy oriented than privatehousing companies. The results can be viewed as an on-going interactionprocess, where a company’s strategies affect its profit. The study aims toincrease the understanding of activities within housing companies in adeclining market that engage the companies in sustainable strategies toimprove their market knowledge and profit.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine how external factors moderate public housing companies’ market orientation and strategic performance relationship.

Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative method was applied to data from a survey sent to 289 public housing companies in Sweden. A hierarchical, multicollinearity diagnostics–moderated regression analysis is used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings – The results reveal moderating factors. The companies take several initiatives to inform themselves about customers’ needs and distribute the information within the company, but economic conditions, as well as market and technological turbulence in the municipalities, moderate the relationship between market orientation and strategic performance. Economic conditions make it difficult for public housing companies to strategically act based on market needs when making decisions and planning construction strategies (strategic performance).

Research limitations/implications – This study is limited by focusing on public housing companies, a sector that differs radically from the open market. The study highlights the effects of moderating factors that are important for companies’ strategic performance and long-term construction strategies. From this limited focus, researchers might use the results to compare both similar and different market situations.

Practical implications – The results of the study are useful for companies facing a similar market situation of external moderating constraints. The result might be used in future research related to the area in focus.

Originality –This research adds new knowledge to market research by including the impact of economic conditions, which provide insight into how to develop and use market knowledge in real estate and public housing markets.

This article serves to analyze the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on (1) the market orientation and strategic performance relationship related to public housing companies’ choice of construction strategies and (2) the companies’ responsiveness to gathered and disseminated customer information. The quantitative method is applied, with data analyzed by the PROCESS analysis. The result is based on a survey sent to 289 public housing companies in Sweden. Previous research suggests a positive relationship between market orientation and strategic performance, which was not confirmed by this study. When testing the mediation effects of CSR on the market orientation and construction strategies relationship, these hypotheses were confirmed related to social and environmental dimensions—not economic ones. This study was limited to public housing companies, a sector that radically differs from the situation of companies in the open market. The study increases public housing companies’ knowledge of CSR effects on the market orientation and strategic performance relationship. This result contributes useful information for companies implementing CSR in their activities. The study highlights the importance of integrating CSR into an organization’s market orientation work and shows how CSR improves the companies’ ability to meet customers’ strategic needs.