Building on market orientation and contemporary literature, this research examines how competitor market orientations and innovation ambidexterity impact international performance in emerging market firms. The analysis is conducted through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), using survey data from 140 Vietnamese international firms operating across diverse industries. The results reveal that both proactive and responsive competitor orientations play an important role in driving firms’ innovation strategies. However, only exploitative innovation is found to directly enhance international performance, while exploratory innovation does not exhibit a significant effect. Moreover, proactive competitor orientation influences international performance indirectly through exploitative innovation, whereas responsive competitor orientation exerts both direct and indirect effects. These findings contribute to the market orientation literature by elucidating the mechanisms through which competitor orientations influence innovation and international performance. They further offer practical guidance for managers in emerging markets on aligning strategic orientations with innovation capabilities to strengthen international competitiveness.
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