Developing and validating a scale for entrepreneurial marketing orientations: EMICO framework and its impact on business performance in startups

Purpose Although marketing is essential for a firm’s survival and growth, a set of entrepreneurial strategic orientations may help it gain a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurial marketing (EM) is critical for growing businesses to succeed in today's fast-paced industry. The present study aims to measure the role of EM on the business performance (BP) of Indian startups. Design/methodology/approach For this purpose, a thorough literature review was conducted to develop a scale from the proposed conceptual framework – EMICO by Jones and Rowley (2009b). To assess the reliability and validity of the scale (62 items), the data are analyzed by employing partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The scale is empirically tested, and the results lead to discussions. The results show the positive impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), marketing orientation (MO), innovation orientation (IO) and customer orientation (CO) on the BP of the startups. The paper concludes by suggesting managerial and practical implications, also providing future research agenda. Originality/value Our objective is to address the existing dearth of comprehensive scales for evaluating EM by undertaking a rigorous statistical approach. Notably, our research represents the pioneering effort in adopting the EMICO framework and subsequently formulating and empirically validating a robust scale specifically tailored for nascent or small-scale startups within the Indian context.