The Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on Customer Satisfaction and Organizational Performance: The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Intent

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed marketing practices and reshaped how organizations interact with customers. However, the effectiveness of digital tools depends not only on technological capabilities but also on managerial behavioral characteristics. The present study aims to examine the impact of digital marketing strategies on customer satisfaction and organizational performance in knowledge-based firms, and to analyze the mediating role of customer satisfaction and the moderating role of managers’ entrepreneurial intention. This applied research employed a descriptive–survey design with a causal–analytical approach. The statistical population consisted of senior managers, marketing managers, and experts in knowledge-based firms located in Tehran, from whom 217 valid questionnaires were collected using purposive convenience sampling. Data were gathered through a 31-item questionnaire and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS version 3.3.9. The results indicated that digital marketing strategies have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction (β=0.313) and organizational performance (β=0.221). Customer satisfaction also showed a stronger effect on organizational performance (β=0.519). Mediation analysis revealed that customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between digital marketing and organizational performance, such that 42.4% of the total effect is transmitted through this path (VAF=0.424). Moreover, managers’ entrepreneurial intention was found to strengthen the relationship between digital marketing strategies and customer satisfaction. Overall, the findings suggest that the success of digital marketing in knowledge-based firms depends on the integration of digital capabilities, customer experience management, and managers’ entrepreneurial mindset.