Exploring the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and organizational resilience of SMEs in South-East, Nigeria

Abstract

This study focused on entrepreneurial leadership and organizational resilience. The specific objectives of the study were to assess the effect of entrepreneurial cognition on innovation capability, entrepreneurial decision-making on response capability, entrepreneurial mindset on adaptive capacity, and entrepreneurial decision-making on business continuity. The study adopted a survey research design. The interest was the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South-East, Nigeria. The target population was owner-managers of 112,508 SMEs. The sample size was 383 respondents. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to achieve the desired sample size. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire. The study used content validity and ensured reliability using the test-retest method. Data were analyzed using Ordinary Least Squares regression. Findings revealed that entrepreneurial cognition has a significant positive effect on innovation capability, and that entrepreneurial decision-making has a significant positive effect on response capability. Findings further showed that entrepreneurial decision-making has a significant positive effect on business continuity, and that entrepreneurial mindset has a significant positive effect on adaptive capacity. The study concluded that entrepreneurial leadership is a driver of organizational resilience for SMEs. The study recommended that SMEs should strengthen entrepreneurial cognition among managers and employees through continuous training, exposure to problem-solving situations, and knowledge sharing practices, as this will enhance innovation capability and improve the development of new ideas and solutions. It was also recommended that SMEs should improve entrepreneurial decision-making processes by encouraging timely, data-informed, and flexible decision practices, as this will strengthen response capability.