Entrepreneurial coaching mediating relationship between TQM soft practices and firm performance: cases of certified Tunisian companies

PurposeThis paper aims to study implicitly the mediating role of entrepreneurial coaching between TQM soft practice and firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe data was gathered from 160 Tunisian-certified companies. The direct and indirect effect between TQM soft practice, entrepreneurial coaching and firm performance are shown using the structural equation modeling. It was performed using SPSS 20 software and AMOS 20 software.FindingsFirst, TQM practices have a positive effect on entrepreneurial coaching. Second, entrepreneurial coaching has a positive effect on firm performance. Third, TQM soft practices have a positive effect on firm performance. So, entrepreneurial coaching may implicitly mediate the relationship between TQM soft practice and firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper helps the practitioner to understand how entrepreneurial coaching ensure TQM soft practice implementation and how entrepreneurial coaching affects firm performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper presents an innovative approach since it is among the first research study that treats the relationship between entrepreneurial support and TQM soft practice implementation and especially the relationship between entrepreneurial coaching and the success of the TQM soft practices implementation.