Adaptation of entrepreneurial leadership in Pakistani high-technology SMEs to facilitate innovation: insights from the ENTRELEAD model

Dilawar, Nauman

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Adaptation of entrepreneurial leadership in Pakistani high-technology SMEs to facilitate innovation: insights from the ENTRELEAD model

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Dilawar, Nauman (2025) Adaptation of entrepreneurial leadership in Pakistani high-technology SMEs to facilitate innovation: insights from the ENTRELEAD model. DBA thesis, University of Gloucestershire. doi:10.46289/LANK9066

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Abstract

The concept of entrepreneurial leadership has become increasingly significant in promoting innovation within various types of organisations and sectors. However, the field of entrepreneurial leadership is still in its infancy and lacks the necessary methodologies to assess the behaviours and traits needed to be an effective entrepreneurial leader. Most of the existing research has focused on larger firms, which means their findings may not apply to smaller organisations, like SMEs. Of those studies related to entrepreneurial leadership in the high technology sector, the majority have been quantitative-centric, primarily conducted in the U.S and Europe, with limited research based on developing countries, such as Pakistan and few dedicated at studying the theme from an SME perspective. Furthermore, there has been limited research investigating how entrepreneurial leadership can influence employee innovation, which arguably needs further theoretical clarity to understand this theme. Therefore, this study investigated how entrepreneurial leadership style adopted in Pakistan's high-technology SME sector can facilitate innovative practice, through using Renko et al.'s (2015) ENTRELEAD model. A qualitative research approach was used a constructivist strategy, to collect the data gathered from conducting 20 semi-structured interviews with CEOs/leaders, and managers from 10 high-technology SMEs in Pakistan. A thematic analysis approach was used to interpret the data and to identify new and emerging themes. The interviews were guided by Renko et al.'s (2015) ENTRELEAD model, which served as a framework for understanding the characteristics and attributes of entrepreneurial leadership. Through conducting a thorough analysis of the interview data, three key themes emerged as essential to promoting innovation, which were the promotion of empathy, enabling collaboration, and encouraging innovative behaviour and attitudes. These themes underscored the relational and empowering attributes of entrepreneurial leadership, which included the importance of trust-building, maintaining open channels of communication, and nurturing creativity amongst team members. This study extends Renko et al.’s (2015) ENTRELEAD model by highlighting new attributes, including empathy, collaboration, and intellectual stimulation as vital components in driving innovation within high-technology SMEs in Pakistan. This study has significantly enhanced the theoretical framework surrounding entrepreneurial leadership by exploring the complex relational dynamics by offering new practical strategies to promote innovation. By focusing on the interactions between leaders and managers, the research identified critical characteristics that can influence an organisation’s capability to innovate. Furthermore, the findings provide valuable, actionable recommendations for practitioners and policymakers to improve the innovative capabilities of high-technology SMEs in Pakistan. This study included 10 Pakistani SME businesses, but for the research to establish a more generalised outcome, a larger number of companies would be needed. Future research should consider exploring these new emerging themes, but across additional different industries to validate the findings further and refine this study’s entrepreneurial leadership framework.

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Thesis (DBA)

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