The Role of Entrepreneurial Marketing through Network Capability in Encouraging Global Expansion of Smes of Si Cemplon Products

Abstract

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a strategic role in Indonesia's economic growth, but many still face obstacles in innovation, marketing capabilities, and access to global markets. Entrepreneurial Marketing (EM) is considered a relevant approach to strengthening competitiveness through opportunity orientation, innovation, and value creation. This study aims to analyze the effect of EM on the global expansion of Si Cemplon SMEs, with network capability (NC) as a mediating variable. A quantitative approach was used, surveying 100 consumers of Si Cemplon products. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to evaluate the exogenous and endogenous models. The results show that EM has a significant positive influence on KPM and global expansion. However, NC has no significant influence on global expansion and does not mediate the relationship between KPM and global expansion. These findings indicate that EM, through proactive marketing behavior, innovation, and adaptability, acts as the main driver of SME international market penetration, while existing networks are still not sufficiently oriented towards global market relationships. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the dominant role of EM in the internationalization of local food-based SMEs. In practice, these findings imply that SMEs need to strengthen their international network structures to optimize their expansion performance.