Entrepreneur proactiveness and customer value: the moderating role of innovation and market orientation

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect impact of entrepreneur proactiveness on customer value through innovation and market orientation. The paper also aims to investigate the differences in perception of entrepreneur and customer experiences regarding the delivery of customer value. Two samples were developed, one for firm entrepreneur (n = 60) and the other for firm customer (n = 60). Data for entrepreneur proactiveness, innovation and market orientation were collected from entrepreneurs. While data for customer value were collected from both entrepreneurs and customers. The results indicate that entrepreneur proactiveness is significantly and positively related to customer value. It is also clear from the results that innovation and market orientation mediate the relationship between entrepreneur proactiveness and customer value. No significant difference was found in the perception of entrepreneur and customer experiences regarding the delivery of customer value. Small sample size and limited geographical area are the main limitations of this study. Entrepreneurs may use the customer perspective as a guideline for resource utilisation.