The perceived personal characteristics of entrepreneurial leaders [journal article]

Abstract

Although the concept of entrepreneurial leadership has begun to attract interest from leadership scholars, it remains a neglected area in entrepreneurship and SME research. This exploratory study attempts to bridge the fields of entrepreneurship and leadership by proposing a model of the characteristics common to entrepreneurs and leaders and showing how entrepreneurial leaders (ELs) differ from entrepreneurs and leaders. Semi-structured interviews and a short-structured questionnaire were used to gather data from a purposive sample of 20 corporate managers and business owners. Respondents considered ELs to have personal characteristics different from those of non-leader entrepreneurs. ELs were specifically perceived as visionary entrepreneurs who also have the motivation and ethics of a leader. The findings suggest leadership plays a critical role in venture growth and long-term entrepreneurial success, and therefore requires greater research attention. Implications for developing leadership in entrepreneurs and the conceptual development of entrepreneurial leadership research are identified.

RAS ID

25577

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2017

School

School of Business and Law

Copyright

subscription content

Publisher

Taylor & Francis Group

Comments

He, L., Standen, P., & Coetzer, A. (2017). The perceived personal characteristics of entrepreneurial leaders. Small Enterprise Research, 24(2), 97-119. https://doi.org/10.1080/13215906.2017.1334225

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1080/13215906.2017.1334225