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Strategic management is a significant element that leads to the success of an organization, a process which should be focused on employees, who, with their intellectual capacity, skills, abilities, and motivations, provide jobs that are prone to achieving institutional goals (Abzari et al., 2011). The approaches presented by the conceptualizations of internal marketing also determine its influence on the external client, since an adequate working climate, where the wishes and needs of employees are considered, implies a better performance in their work activities. This, in turn, significantly influences external customer satisfaction (Lizote et al., 2019).

Internal marketing has its origin in the work of Berry et al. (1976), although this construct continues to be in constant evolution, allowing for advances in its conceptualization. In this way, Lings (1999) proposes that, in addition to the employee knowing the business’ information, the officers should be interested in the employees’ needs and wishes. From this point of view, Ahmed and Rafiq (2002) define internal marketing as the planned effort of motivating employees through marketing techniques, to implant and integrate business strategies aimed at the customer. In addition, Anosike and Ahmed (2009) indicate that the exchange of ideas between an employer and an employee contributes to achieving common benefits. For their part, Cerqueira et al. (2018) propose treating employees as internal customers and their activities as internal products, which satisfy the needs and wishes of external customers.

As such, the adoption of internal marketing allows for the business to align its strategies with the needs of the internal customer in order to introduce benefits to the organization (Gounaris et al., 2010). In this way, institutions that apply this management philosophy ensure the efficiency of the service provided by the employees, which would help improve the satisfaction of the external customer (Barzoki and Ghujali, 2013; Jaeger et al., 2016; Lizote et al., 2019). In this respect, Oliveira and Pataco (2017) confirm that motivated and loyal employees have more positive attitudes toward their businesses and their management, which leads to an increase in income. In this context, the internal marketing approach is basically aimed at all the interactive activities within the institutions, with the purpose of providing a quality work environment (Zebal, 2018). Because of this, the understanding of the dimensions of this construct allows for identifying the dimension that most contributes to the co-creation of value, given that internal marketing influences attitudes and behavior of the internal customer to transmit it, by doing so, to the external customer (Dean et al., 2016; Chiu et al., 2019).

The boom that has occurred in internal marketing in recent times comes from research that suggests diverse activities tending to know, analyze, and respond to the needs of employees, which has given way to the dimensions of this construct (Ruizalba et al., 2015). In this case, the theoretical references regarding internal marketing models and their dimensions were proposed by the precursors in this construct (Parasuraman et al., 1985; Grönroos, 1990; Jaworski and Kohli, 1993; Lings, 1999; Rafiq and Ahmed, 2000; Bansal et al., 2001).

Based on this, the importance of the dimensions which cover internal marketing in the co-operatives of Ecuador is highlighted, considering that it generates co-creation of value to the service, which provides the institutions that have applied it; thus, it improves their results (Yu et al., 2018). This has determined a growing interest from the officers and those responsible in the dimensions of internal marketing, as a primordial factor within the good practices of internal management. Albassami et al. (2015) shows that it is not only a statement of intent, but that it also respects the rights of the workers, bearing in mind equality, no discrimination, a dignified job, conciliation between family and professional life, etc. As such, it is necessary to consider the aspects indicated beforehand to measure internal marketing, with the idea of developing a measuring instrument of this construct that can be considered an effective tool for the management when making strategic decisions (Park and Tran, 2018).

The analysis of the internal marketing dimensions sifts a fundamental part of the overall management of a business given that, through its study and application, the employee’s satisfaction and the subsequent achievement of the same goals can be reached (Abzari et al., 2011). This is the reason why diverse studies (among others, Lings and Greenley, 2010; Ali, 2016; Braimah, 2016) have led to defining two important variables within internal marketing, with the first being the identification of the business as an internal market and, the second, the determination of the employees as internal customers. In this way, the dimensions of this construct are projected to highlight these characteristics (Foreman and Money, 1995; Lux et al., 1996). However, Parasuraman et al. (1985) and Grönroos (1990) propose a unidimensional model of internal marketing, considering only the macro-dimension of customer orientation. Despite this model having been used in current research (among others, Yildiz and Ali, 2017; Piha and Avlonitis, 2018), it has been the subject of criticism and restructuring due to the limitations that it provides in the real application of the internal marketing strategies in businesses of different sizes and in different activity sectors.

All of this has led to the development of models, which determine a multi-dimensional perspective of internal marketing. In this sense, Jaworski and Kohli (1993) and Lings (1999) distinguish three dimensions of this construct: (1) generation of internal intelligence, (2) Internal Communication (IC), and (3) response to internal intelligence, which, at the same time, is divided into six sub-dimensions. For their part, Rafiq and Ahmed (2000) complete a redesign of the one-dimensional model of Parasuraman et al. (1985) and Grönroos (1990), adding three new dimensions: (1) empowerment, (2) inter-functional co-ordination, and (3) communication, establishing a model of four dimensions. Afterward, Bansal et al. (2001) suggest a model of six internal marketing dimensions: (1) employment security, (2) extensive training, (3) generous rewards, (4) sharing information, (5) employee empowerment, and (6) reduced status distinction.

The application of the Jaworski and Kohli (1993) and Lings (1999) model in various studies has made it possible to determine the validity and consistency of its dimensions, albeit with a focus on mercantilist companies and in a geographical and cultural field different from that under study in this research (Ruizalba et al., 2015; Kim et al., 2016; Cerqueira et al., 2018).

More recent studies (among others, Ruizalba et al., 2014; Braimah, 2016; Cerqueira et al., 2018; Park and Tran, 2018; Mero et al., 2020) have redesigned the three dimension model of Jaworski and Kohli (1993) and Lings (1999), considering the initial sub-dimensions of the same as true first-class dimensions, which has led them to the suggestion of a much more complete and versatile model of six dimensions: Identify Value Exchange (IVE), Internal Market Segmentation (IMS), IC, Management Concern (MC), Training (TR), and work/family. For this reason, this research will use this vision of six internal marketing dimensions as a reference; given its great adaptability to different socio-economic environments which, in this empirical study, applies to Ecuador’s co-operativism, considered a developing country.

Using this model, it should be indicated that the IVE dimensions’ job is to collect information about the internal market, so that what the employees hope to receive from the business is known, as well as the benefits that they are going to give to the business. This component occurs when hiring staff, when the values of new staff are identified, as well as those of the organization, so as to know if they share the same philosophy (Lings, 2004). On the other hand, the IMS dimension, involves the separation of functions which each employee of the organization performs, considering aspects of macro-segmentation (socio-demographic aspects) and micro-segmentation (attitude, behavior, etc.), all of this at diverse levels of management (Gounaris, 2006).

For its part, the IC dimension is essential in all the inter-personal relationships that help the development of activities through the exchange of information between the leader and the employees (Chiu et al., 2019). In this sense, Ahmed and Rafiq (2002) show that communication should be extended to different levels of the organization, to be able to influence the behavior of all the employees. As such, the improvement of IC could offer unique capacities for a significant performance in the target market (Danso et al., 2017). MC, as an internal marketing dimension, suggests that supervisors should worry about knowing the present and future expectations that workers have (Ruizalba et al., 2014); disclosing good management practices to motivate employees in the performance of their work (Chareonwongsak, 2017). In relation to TR, this dimension looks to prepare employees in the development of abilities and capacities that the work position requires and, in turn, means an opportunity for its growth within the business (Abbas and Riaz, 2018).

Finally, in terms of the Work/Family Balance (WFB) dimension, Narteh (2012) considers the family as an interest group (stakeholder) of the business itself. And, in this case, businesses that want to keep their best employees have to favor the development of policies that allow for the harmonization of family and work life, as both are mutually sustained (Tang et al., 2020). These employees will feel understood by the business, when it develops strategies to reconcile their work and family life (Ruizalba et al., 2014; Solat et al., 2020).

In conclusion, the multi-dimensional vision of internal marketing has been analyzed in different empirical studies, mainly focused on the United States, Europe, and Asia, with excellent results that have allowed for the consolidation of internal marketing in these geographical areas (Clampitt and Downs, 1993; Back et al., 2011; Hoque et al., 2018), but there is an important deficit of empirical research regarding this construct in Latin America.

The aim of this study is to analyze the dimensions of internal marketing, through the validation of a measuring instrument applicable to co-operativism in Ecuador. To achieve this, a preliminary list of measuring items was suggested; this was generated after a review of the literature related to the internal marketing dimensions. In the adaptation phase of the questionnaire, a review with Ecuadoran specialists involved with the popular and solidary economy sector (referred to in this way in the Latin American country) was carried out and used to discard errors in terms and understanding. Afterward, a pre-test was given to 40 participants, to detect possible deviations and errors directly in the field being studied.

The questionnaires have been prepared from two points of view, the administrators that represent the organization and the employees as internal customers. The structure of the questionnaire consists of open and closed questions, regarding aspects such as work and socio-demographic details. For their part, these items of internal marketing dimensions are measured using a Likert scale of five points, giving the surveyees the options that range between (1 = completely disagree and 5 = completely agree).

The procedure of the field work consisted of a survey in situ with staff that works in the co-operatives. This questionnaire was applied to a team of surveyors from the Eloy Alfaro de Manabí Lay University (Ecuador). Initially, the purpose of the study was explained to the administrators of every co-operating party, requesting the respective permission of the employees. The questionnaires were designed in Spanish and they were complemented under the presence of surveyors, with the aim of responding to any question that may arise. The field work was done between the months of January and April 2018. The rejection rate was very low and it was not related to any specific variable. The length of the survey never lasted more than 15 min, in any case.

The population of this study includes administrators and employees of financial and non-financial co-operatives in Ecuador. As such, a stratified sampling was carried out which obtained 2,499 surveys. The co-operatives in Ecuador are classified in financials, who are additionally subdivided into segments from 1 to 5 (in terms of the figure of assets) and into non-financials, which are grouped by their branch of activity, with these being services, housing, production, and consumption (Superintendencia de Economía Popular y Solidaria (SEPS), 2017). The sample is distributed among 1,414 women and 1,085 men. The ages range from 18 to 60. A sample error of ±1.89% was considered for a confidence level of 95%.

Once the field work was finished, the verification of the data was undertaken, removing all those questionnaires that present absent values in any item. The SSPS v.23 software was used, where the descriptions for each one of the elements was calculated, studying its asymmetry, together with normality, on a univariant level as well as on a multi-variant one. Secondly, an exploratory factorial analysis and another confirmatory one were carried out, with a structural equations model to study the validity of the scale, using Amos Graphics v23 software. For the development of the research, a quantitative approach was applied, which was based on a deductive plan to look for mechanisms to confirm the viability of the instruments used.

The theoretical analysis regarding internal marketing has allowed for the definition of this construct with its respective questions that were applied in the adaptation of the questionnaire, in a way which contributes with the information needed to achieve the aim of the study. The structure of the questionnaire consists of aspects related to socio-demographic data, such as age, sex, education, marital status, and children; as well as those related to work position and contract type, working day, length of service, role, and pay, among others. This information allows us to identify the organizational structure of Ecuadoran co-operatives. On the other hand, the dimensions of internal marketing are based on the current re-design of the Jaworski and Kohli (1993) and Lings (1999) models, based on six dimensions: IVE (four items), IMS (three items), IC (four items), MC (five items), TR (three items), and WFB (three items).

In the exploratory factor analysis, the method of main components with varimax rotation (maximum variance) was applied, which determined that all the common factors are greater than one, thus considering that they are adequate with the variables. The viability of the factorial analysis was evaluated with the following criteria: the original correlations presented a large number of correlations (88.90% with a value greater than 0.30), Bartlett’s test for sphericity showed that the variables were not independent [χ ²(231) = 11,114.48, p < 0.001]. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure of appropriate sampling obtained a value of 0.893, being considered to be adequate. All the values of the Measures of Sampling Adequacy (MSA) were found to be above 0.88.

In the varimax rotation (Table 1), the criteria used for assigning an item to the factor was that which presented a factorial load greater than 0.30, which explains 72.31% of the total variance, determining six factors in this way. The first factor explains 15.63% of the total variance and has high and positive correlations with items 1–4; therefore, we call this first factor or dimension IVE. The second factor explains 12.37% of the total variance and has a positive correlation with items 5–7; identifying this factor as IMS. The third factor represents 11.61% of the total variance, with a positive correlation with items 8–11; which we refer to as IC. The fourth factor which explains 11.38% of the total variance has a positive correlation with items 12–16; which is known as MC. The fifth factor explains 11.32% of the total variance, having a positive correlation with items 17–19; and which we call TR. Finally, the sixth factor represents 10% of the total variance and has a positive correlation with items 20–22; this factor or dimension is known as WFB.

The previous results of the exploratory analysis confirm the appropriateness of the measuring scale. Additionally, a confirmatory analysis with a model of structural equations and the application of the extraction method of maximum plausibility was carried out. All of this allows for the discovery of the convergent validity of the instrument proposed in the exploratory factor analysis, whose structure consists of six dimensions and 22 indicators in total. The results obtained were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and the factorial loads presented values greater than 0.5 by which we can indicate that all of the indicators satisfactorily saturate each latent variable. Definitively, it can be confirmed that the proposed model regarding the factorial structure of the scale is consistent (Figure 1).

For the analysis of the model’s Goodness of Fit Indexes (GFIs), comparative fit statistics were used, such as: Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker Lewis Index (TLI), and Normed Fit Index (NFI). In this way as well, the unhurried fits GFI, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). A confidence interval of 90% was considered. The results of the CFI, TLI, and NFI fit indexes show values greater than 0.96. For their part, the GFI and AGFI indexes presented values greater than 0.97 and the value obtained from the RMSEA is 0.048 (Table 2). These results indicate that the fit of the initial theoretical scale model is high.

With respect to the reliability of the scale, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used which determines the internal consistency of the items of each of the dimensions. Bryman (2004) and Sekaran and Bougie (2010) coincide that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, with an average of 0.5–0.7, is a moderate and acceptable level for research in social sciences. Thus, the greater the coefficient, the better the reliability of the scale will be (IVE = 0.921, IMS = 0.899, IC = 0.914, MC = 0.865, TR = 0.876, WFB = 0.899), which indicates a very high reliability.

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.