The effect of transformational leadership on corporate entrepreneurship in Tunisian SMEs

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayçal Boukamcha

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether transformational leadership matters in promoting corporate entrepreneurship in Tunisian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It has been argued that transformational leadership is a multidimensional construct which is composed of intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, inspirational motivation and individual consideration. Corporate entrepreneurship is also a multidimensional construct composed of new business venturing, innovativeness, self-renewal and proactiveness. Hence, it has been hypothesized that transformational leadership positively and directly influences corporate entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach A hypothetico-deductive and quantitative approach was adopted to test the suggested research model. A 2 × 2 survey was conducted on a random sample of a set of Tunisian SMEs’ workers. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling. Findings The results highlight the relatively relevance of transformational leadership’s components in triggering the corporate entrepreneurship’s patterns. Originality/value The author reports on the importance of transformational leadership in the corporate entrepreneurship development in the Tunisian business context. The paper should be of interest to readers in the areas of management and entrepreneurship. This work seems to be relevant to the extent that few works have highlighted the association between the components of both transformational leadership and corporate entrepreneurship. The findings seem interesting insofar as they show mainly the important effect of the intellectual stimulation and the inspirational motivation, triggered by transformational leaders, on workers’ innovativeness, proactiveness and new business venturing.

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-498
Author(s):  
Murat Kasımoğlu ◽  
Djihane Ammari

PurposeThe study compares the impact of four components of transformational leadership (TL), namely, idealized influence (II), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation (IS), and individualized consideration (IC) on employee creativity (EC) at the workplace between Turkey and Algeria, taking into account the mediating effect of employee's creative role identity (CRI).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 688 managers working for conglomerate companies in both countries and the analysis was performed using a two-stage structural equation modeling (SEM) for model and hypothesis testing.FindingsThe findings highlighted that managers from both countries have divergent stances toward TL’s impact on EC; Algerian managers recognized the impact relationship between CRI and EC. Meanwhile, Turkish managers believed in the efficiency of every component independently.Research limitations/implicationsWhen generalizing the research results, a debate might arise in regards to both the data collection instrument and the data being collected from two companies only. Therefore, upcoming research might opt for using further data collection methods and expand the data collection sources to cover larger targets.Practical implicationsThe study's findings help in assisting managers and decision-makers in both countries into strategically adjusting their managerial approaches accordingly and appropriately stimulating EC at the workplace.Social implicationsThe findings provided insights into elevating and strengthening a mere formal leader–member relationship to a personally satisfying and mutually beneficial social bond.Originality/valueThroughout literature, the light was shed on the fundamental, yet, infrequently discussed link between TL components and employee CRI. The comparative nature and findings of our study could be considered building blocks for further academic research about leadership in both countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 993-1013
Author(s):  
Basheer M. Al-Ghazali

PurposeBased on career construction theory and job embeddedness theory, the aim of the present study is to give insights into the interplay between transformational leadership and perceived career success by examining the indirect effects through serial mediation of career adaptability and job embeddedness, respectively.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was used for this study. Data were gathered from 469 nurses working in government hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that transformational leaders enhance perceived career success. Moreover, the relationship between transformational leadership and perceived career success is serially mediated by career adaptability and job embeddedness.Originality/valueThe role of leadership in promoting employee's perceived career success has been seldom studied in the literature. This is the first study of its kind to examine the effect of transformational leadership on nurses' perceived career success along with the mediating roles of career adaptability and job embeddedness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umer Zaman ◽  
Shahid Nawaz ◽  
Sidra Tariq ◽  
Asad Afzal Humayoun

Purpose Transformational leadership, flexibility and visibility improves project responsiveness to highly unpredictable and impactful events referred as the ‘black swans’ in mega projects (Bloch et al., 2012; Raziq et al., 2018; Zailani et al., 2016). However, these concepts have never been empirically tested in a single framework to determine their significant impact on multi-dimensional project success. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interactional effects of project flexibility and project visibility on the relationship between transformational leadership and “multi-dimensions” of project success including meeting design goals; impact on customers and benefits to project-based organization. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data derived from cross-sectional survey of 160 project managers from telecom intensive companies in Pakistan were used to test the conceptual framework developed from recent literature. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) provided detailed analysis of the measurement and structural model. The most recent reflective–formative PLS-SEM approach for higher-order constructs has been introduced. Findings The results indicate that project managers’ transformational leadership (β = 0.348, p < 0.01), project flexibility (β = 0.221, p < 0.01) and project visibility (β = 0.366, p < 0.01) are positively related with the multi-dimensional project success (second-order formative) construct. Interestingly, the relationship between transformational leadership and project success is influenced by significantly negative moderations established through project flexibility (β = −0.100, p < 0.01) and project visibility (β = −0.093, p < 0.05). Research limitations/implications This study in the telecom sector examined the interactional effects of risk mitigating strategies (i.e. project flexibility and project visibility) on the relationship between transformational leadership and multi-dimensional project success. This study creates a basis for future investigations extending to various project types and relevant to different industries especially those involving higher-order (formative) assessments of project success. Practical implications The study findings assist project leaders to meet their escalating commitments in achieving project success from a multi-dimensional standpoint. Additionally, this study underscores a renewed perspective of transformational leadership and project outcomes. Despite prevailing understanding developed through prior research, transformational leadership may become less favorable for project success in conditions of increased flexibility and visibility in projects. Originality/value Earlier studies have overlooked the multi-dimensional nature of project success (second-order formative) construct, despite several attempts to examine the interplay between transformational leadership and project success. Based on the knowledge gap and non-existence of empirical evidence, the authors introduced and empirically tested the moderating role of project flexibility and project visibility in the relationship between transformational leadership and multi-dimensional project success.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mustafa Raziq ◽  
Cristina Doritta Rodrigues ◽  
Felipe Mendes Borini ◽  
Omer Farooq Malik ◽  
Abubakr Saeed

Purpose Multinational enterprises (MNEs) encourage their subsidiaries to develop and transfer their unique knowledge and expertise back to the MNE as it is critical for the development of the MNE as a whole. However, what underlies the subsidiary ability to create such specialized knowledge that can be transferred to the MNE is less clear. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of MNE entrepreneurial strategy, subsidiary initiatives and expatriation on reverse knowledge transfers in a cross-country comparative context. Design/methodology/approach Data are gathered through surveys from 429 foreign subsidiaries operating in New Zealand and 164 subsidiaries in Brazil, and these are analyzed using variance-based structural equation modeling. Findings Subsidiary initiatives partially mediate the relationship between MNE entrepreneurial strategy and reverse knowledge transfers in case of subsidiaries operating in Brazil, but they fully mediate in case of New Zealand. Furthermore, expatriation, in case of the latter, has a negative interaction in the relationship between subsidiary initiative and reverse knowledge transfers, but, in case of the former, it has no moderating role. Overall, the results suggest that the influence of MNE entrepreneurial strategy and expatriation on reverse knowledge transfers can be explained by contingencies such as the subsidiary host economy and the heterogenous HQ–subsidiary relationships. Originality/value The paper contributes to literature by identifying some contingencies with regard to the occurrence of reverse knowledge transfers. It addresses some research calls with regard to examining reverse knowledge transfers and the role of expatriation across different empirical contexts.


Author(s):  
Tuan Luu

Purpose – This inquest into consumer goods companies in Vietnam aims to examine if leadership influences corporate social responsibility (CSR) and emotional intelligence (EI), which in turn influences upward influence behavior. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling approach contributed to the analysis of 406 responses returned from self-administered structured questionnaires sent to 690 middle level managers. Findings – From the findings emerged a model of upward influence behavior and its antecedents such as leadership, CSR, and EI. Transformational leadership, ethical CSR, and high level of EI were found to nurture organizationally beneficial upward influence tactics. Originality/value – Through the findings of the study, the insight into the leadership-based model of upward influence behavior underscores the role of transformational leadership style, ethical CSR, as well as team EI in the cultivation of organizationally beneficial upward influence tactics in consumer goods companies in Vietnam business context.


Author(s):  
Doris Masal

Purpose – Although an increasingly complex work environment requires shared forms of leadership in the police, there is little empirical evidence on how to facilitate shared leadership in the police. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of transformational leaders in supporting shared leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on an online survey in a German state police (3,000 invited participants, a 39 percent response rate). The empirical analysis relies on a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. Findings – The study findings reveal that transformational leaders exert a direct, positive influence on shared leadership and have an indirect, positive influence through their capacity to clarify organizational goals and create job satisfaction for followers. Originality/value – This large-scale study is the first to examine antecedents of shared leadership in the police. The results expand on the literature on transformational leadership by highlighting transformational leaders’ role as “SuperLeaders” in supporting shared leadership.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 912-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Zheng ◽  
Zhiying Liu ◽  
Xiuyuan Gong

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role leader attention plays in the nurture of transformational leadership (TL) behavior, as well as the mechanism by which TL affects innovation ambidexterity, this research empirically studied the relationship between leader attention scope (LAS) and innovation ambidexterity (exploratory innovation and exploitative innovation) through the mediating role of TL. Further, the moderating effect of environmental dynamism (ED) on the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity was examined. Design/methodology/approach Empirical study was adopted by distributing questionnaires to high echelon leaders in mainland China to assess related variables. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships of the variables based on the 188 returned questionnaires. Findings The results show that LAS had a positive effect on innovation ambidexterity, and the relationship was partially mediated by TL. ED negatively moderated the relationship between TL and innovation ambidexterity. Practical implications The results suggest that upper echelon leaders receive more unfamiliar, outward-oriented, and source-diverse information to broaden their attention scope. The broad outlook they get obliges them to engage in TL behavior which is beneficial for innovation ambidexterity. Originality/value Based on upper echelons theory, this research reveals the realization mechanism of innovation ambidexterity from the perspectives of leader attention and leadership behavior. This paper avoids the previous research limitation of prevalently employing demographic measurements to substitute for leaders’ psychological processes. The study of LAS also explains the formation mechanism of TL. ED is considered to examine the effectiveness of TL.


Author(s):  
Babak Ziyae

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the attention to the elements of human resource strategic management that can promote motivation of employees of knowledge-based institutions for developing corporate entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach – This study is considered as an empirical one in terms of objective, and its research methodology is descriptive-correlative type. More specifically, structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Findings – The findings demonstrate that promotion of skill and knowledge levels of people, as an operational strategy in the development of human resource in knowledge-based institutions, increases the demand for job promotion and enhances employees’ motivation in corporate entrepreneurship. On the other hand, organizational culture moderate the relationship between human resource management and corporate entrepreneurship. Originality/value – This paper fulfills an identified need to study the relationship between human resource management and corporate entrepreneurship. The manuscript creates a paradigm for future studies of the evolution of corporate entrepreneurship and human resource management.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 205-222
Author(s):  
Phong Ba Le

PurposeGiven the important role of innovation capability in helping firms to innovate and adapt to a fast-paced and unpredictable environment, the purpose of this study is to investigate and deepen knowledge of how transformational leadership affects radical and incremental innovation via the mediating role of positive psychological capital.Design/methodology/approachThe paper used structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test proposal hypotheses based on the empirical data collected from 379 participants in 89 manufacturing and service firms.FindingsThe results of this study revealed the positive and significant influence of transformational leadership on radical and incremental innovation. The findings highlighted the mediating role of individual psychological capital in the relationship between transformational leadership and aspects of innovation capability.Practical implicationsOrganizations should invest and stress on practicing transformational leadership style for their managers/directors to foster and enhance individual psychological capital and innovation capabilities.Originality/valueThe paper has extended theory of innovation management by discussing and highlighting the important role of transformational leadership and psychological capital in fostering specific aspects of innovation namely radical and incremental innovation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jielin Yin ◽  
Zhenzhong Ma ◽  
Haiyun Yu ◽  
Muxiao Jia ◽  
Ganli Liao

Purpose This paper aims—based on past research works which have shown that transformational leadership has positive impact on knowledge sharing—to explore the impact of different leadership dimensions of transformational leadership on knowledge sharing and further to explore the mechanism through which transformational leadership affects employee knowledge sharing in China. Design/methodology/approach Based on the transformational leadership theory and the team learning theory, it is proposed that all four dimensions of transformational leadership, including intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation and idealized influence, have unique impact on employee knowledge sharing. It is further proposed that psychology safety and team efficacy mediate these relationships. Then data were collected from over 400 employees from knowledge-based companies in China to empirically test the proposed relationships with the method of structural equation modeling. Findings The results show that psychological safety fully mediated the impact of intellectual stimulation on knowledge sharing, and team efficacy fully mediated the impact of inspirational motivation on knowledge sharing. Both factors also mediated the impact of individualized consideration on knowledge sharing. The results thus provide empirical support for the impact of transformational leadership on employee knowledge sharing in an international context. Originality/value The past years have seen increasing interest in leadership and knowledge sharing in emerging markets, yet the mechanism through which leadership affects employee knowledge sharing remains understudied. This study explores the impact of different dimensions of transformational leadership on employee knowledge sharing, and further shows that psychological safety and team efficacy mediate these relationships in a collectivistic society where knowledge sharing is consistent with cultural norms. The findings help develop more robust knowledge sharing theories in the international context and provide insightful suggestions for management practitioners in emerging markets.


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