INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES Vol 12, No 2, 2020 ISSN: 1309-8047 (Online) 356 THE INFLUENCE OF MARKET ORIENTATION BARRIERS ON UNIVERSITY PERFORMANCE: A DEVELOPING COUNTRY PERSPECTIVE Bakae Aubrey Mokoena Faculty of Management Sciences Vaal University of Technology Email: aubrey@vut.ac.za Orcid ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1041-734X Chengedzai Mafini Faculty of Management Sciences Vaal University of Technology Email: chengedzaim@vut.ac.za Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9426-0975 Manilall Dhurup Faculty of Management Sciences Vaal University of Technology Email: royd @vut.ac.za Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8845-3527 ─Abstract ─ Universities of technology are an emergent concept in the South African higher education landscape. However, they face a myriad of market-related challenges that persistently militate upon their performance. This study investigated the barriers to market orientation and how they influence the performance of South African universities of technology. A survey questionnaire was administered to a total of 507 academics who were conveniently recruited from six universities of technology. Data analysis was conducted using the aid of the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22.0) software. Statistical techniques employed in the study include exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. Three barriers to market orientation; namely, internal environmental barriers, external environmental barriers and organisational environmental barriers were identified through exploratory factor analysis. Pearson correlation analysis showed negative correlations between the three barriers and university performance. Regression analysis revealed that external