The role of coaching in enhancing customer responsiveness, marketing self-efficacy and firm performance among micro-entrepreneurs: moderating effect of goal orientation

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of entrepreneurial coaching in improving customer responsiveness, marketing self-efficacy and firm performance among Thai micro-entrepreneurs engaged in e-commerce. The study additionally explored whether entrepreneurs’ goal orientation moderates the impact of coaching on customer responsiveness. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 571 micro-entrepreneurs who attended a coaching program hosted by one of the largest e-commerce coaching companies in Thailand. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings Entrepreneurial coaching had significant positive effects on marketing self-efficacy and customer responsiveness, both of which were found to sequentially mediate the relationship between coaching and firm performance. Moreover, goal orientation was observed to moderate the effect of coaching on customer responsiveness. While this effect was positive for both low and high goal-oriented entrepreneurs, it was significantly stronger among those with higher goal orientation. Practical implications Policymakers and support agencies should integrate coaching programs into micro-enterprise support strategies to enhance human capital and boost productivity. Given the role of micro-enterprises in promoting economic development, such efforts may contribute to realizing broader goals of economic growth and sustainable development. Originality/value This study makes a novel contribution by uncovering the sequential mechanism through which entrepreneurial coaching translates to improved firm performance in a digital business context. The study also generated new empirical evidence that goal orientation acts as a critical boundary condition, one that amplifies the impact of coaching on customer responsiveness.