Entrepreneurial coaching for innovation in SMEs: Development and validation of a measurement scale

Purpose – Coaching is a widespread form of human development that has grown considerably in recent years.However, it is not well understood in entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) andlittle is known about the success factors for coaching in SMEs. Thus, this article presents a theoreticalframework for coaching SMEs. The paper reports on a study carried out to develop and validate a coachingmodel for entrepreneurship in SMEs.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was undertaken in SMEs in the Iranianpharmaceutical industry. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the samples and the model’sdimensions.Findings – The results show five chief constructs of the entrepreneurial coaching model. In particular, theauthors determine the importance of early goal setting and identify the essential characteristics of an effectiveentrepreneurial coach.Research limitations/implications – Firstly, the data relied solely on the pharmacy industry in Iran,indicating a need for future studies to explore coaching programs across various industries and countries.Additionally, a quantitative aspect of the research involved participants answering questionnaires based ontheir perceptions. This subjective nature introduces a potential for inaccuracies in participants’ perceptions andexpectations. Furthermore, the inherent bias of program stakeholders may have led to exaggerated responses.To mitigate these issues, it would be beneficial to conduct experimental and longitudinal research, which couldaddress these concerns more effectively.