INTERNATIONAL MARKETING AND START-UP SUCCESS: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING

Abstract

The study investigates the mediating role of strategic planning between international marketing and start-up success, emphasizing how strategic management processes enhance business outcomes in dynamic global markets. Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional approach to explore the relationship among these constructs using data collected from 312 start-up founders and managers operating across various industries. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess measurement reliability, discriminant validity, and structural relationships. The results reveal that international marketing significantly influences start-up success, confirming that global market orientation strengthens firm performance through enhanced customer knowledge, adaptability, and brand visibility. Furthermore, strategic planning exhibits a positive effect on start-up success, supporting the argument that structured planning enables effective resource allocation and strategic responsiveness. Most importantly, strategic planning partially mediates the relationship between international marketing and start-up success, demonstrating that the pathway from international market engagement to sustained growth depends significantly on a firm’s planning competency. The study contributes to the literature by integrating international marketing and strategic management perspectives within the entrepreneurial context, highlighting how proactive planning transforms market opportunities into competitive advantages. For practitioners, the findings highlight the necessity of developing adaptive strategic frameworks that align with global expansion goals. Future research should extend this framework to longitudinal designs, explore digital marketing dimensions, and examine environmental dynamism as a potential moderator to deepen understanding of sustainable start-up performance in evolving international markets.

Keywords: International Marketing, Start-Up Success, Business Incubators and Strategic Planning