Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Malaysian Public University: Competency and Behavior in the Face of Institutional Adversity
Noorlizawati Abd Rahim, Zainai Mohamed, Astuty Amrin, Zaidatun Tasir, Habibah Norehan Haron, Haliyana Khalid, Nina Diana Binti Nawi, Ana Haziqah A. Rashif
Copyright: © 2023
|Pages: 27
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-4605-8.ch019
Abstract
Based on case studies of top senior leaders (vice-chancellors) of Malaysian public universities, this chapter explores the characteristics of challenging experiences they encountered that require them to embrace entrepreneurship in their leadership. The complexity of diverse stakeholders, the multiplicity of academic disciplines, the lack of familiarity leading different and broader roles, leading in new directions, and creating change in high velocity and uncertain environments are among the entrepreneurial situations that characterize institutional adversities. Learning agility, opportunity recognition, and bridging capability are among their exemplary entrepreneurial leadership competencies in the face of adversity. This chapter concludes that entrepreneurial leaders in public universities as those leaders capable of bridging the gap between diverse stakeholders to achieve a unified vision of innovative public value creation and dynamic education marketplace adaptation.
TopIntroduction
“A true measure of an entrepreneur and successful person is how they deal with adversity” – Noah Kagan
Entrepreneurial leadership is a concept formed from the intersection between leadership and entrepreneurship (Reid et al., 2018). From the behavioral perspective, entrepreneurial leadership describes a leader leading with an entrepreneurial style or an entrepreneur who exhibits leadership traits (Leitch & Volery, 2017). There has been a rising demand for entrepreneurial leaders who can navigate evolving organizational missions in a dynamic environment (Huang, 2014, Harrison et al., 2016) since entrepreneurialism is complementary to conventional leadership approaches that advance organizational performance (Anju & Mathew, 2017; Paudel, 2019). Entrepreneurial leadership competency has been studied in various organizational contexts such as new venture emergence (Sklaveniti, 2017), performance (Huang, 2014; Sklaveniti, 2017), small and medium enterprises (Al Mamun, 2018; Bagheri, 2017; Hasan, 2020; Maladzhi, 2015; Paudel, 2019; Quaye 2019), family-controlled business (Kansikas et al., 2012, Ng & Thorpe, 2010), healthcare (Bagheri & Akbari, 2018; Harrison, 2016), maritime (Kandil, 2016), and social enterprises (Newman, 2018). A greater emphasis has been placed on assessing the impact on business organizational success, which includes the strategic management of resources, wealth creation, innovation performance (Hejazi et al., 2012), and sustainability (Rae, 2017).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Institutional Adversity: Feature of institutional experience with a degree of challenge that provides motivation and opportunity for leaders to stretch their leadership capacities.
Entrepreneurial Leadership: Leadership capable of bridging the gap between diverse stakeholders to achieve a unified vision of innovative public value creation and dynamic education marketplace adaptation.
Learning Agililty: Strong willingness and ability to learn the new competencies required of them in first-time or unfamiliar (leadership roles).
Bridging Capability: Bring together different (higher education) stakeholders by fostering understanding, interdependence, and cohesion towards a unified vision.
Opportunity Recognition: Identification of innovative public value creation and dynamic education marketplace adaptation.