Virtual Collaboration Technology and International Business Coaching: Examining the Impact on Marketing Strategies and Sales.

This article examines the impact of international business coaching delivered via virtual collaboration technology on the marketing strategies and sales performance of emerging market entrepreneurs. Conducted as a randomized controlled field experiment with 930 growth-oriented small firms in Uganda, the study finds that virtual coaching increases monthly sales by 27.6% on average and makes entrepreneurs 52.8% more likely to shift their marketing strategies—defined as systematic analysis and intentional adjustment of business model components related to customers, company offering, and competition (the 3Cs of marketing). The intervention is particularly effective for entrepreneurs who initially exhibit lower strategic focus in decision making, while improvements are linked to strategic shifts rather than increases in tactical business practices. These findings suggest virtual business coaching as a scalable and cost-effective tool for enhancing firm performance in emerging markets, with implications for entrepreneurs, multinational managers, and policy makers interested in small firm growth.