อิทธิพลของภาวะผู้นำแบบผู้ประกอบการและทุนทางปัญญาต่อผลการดำเนินงานของวิสาหกิจขนาดกลางและขนาดย่อมในภาคใต้ของประเทศไทย

Abstract

Past research indicates that entrepreneurial leadership plays an important role in enhancing firms' organizational performance. However, relatively few studies have examined the underlying explanation for this virtuous effect. This research aims to study the influence of entrepreneurial leadership on small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) organizational performance and to examine the mediating roles of intellectual capital in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organizational performance. This study employed mixed methods research (explanatory sequential design) which begins with quantitative research, followed by qualitative research. As for the quantitative research, data were collected from two sources, namely, 105 business owners or top executives and 1,001 employees in 105 SMEs in the manufacturing sector located in the southern region of Thailand. Survey questionnaires were distributed to the SMEs by mail. In particular, entrepreneurial leadership was evaluated by business owners or top executives and employees, whereas intellectual capital and organizational performance were evaluated by business owners or top executives. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for the data analysis. The results of original concept framework, in which intellectual capital was divided into human capital, structural capital, and relational capital, indicated that entrepreneurial leadership had a positive direct influence on human capital, structural capital, and relational capital but not SMEs’ performance. Therefore, the concept framework was revised by combining the three components of intellectual capital, human capital, structural capital, and relational capital into one latent construct. The results confirmed that entrepreneurial leadership had an indirect influence on SMEs' organizational performance via the mediating roles of intellectual capital. Entrepreneurial leadership had a positive direct influence on intellectual capital, whereas intellectual capital had a positive direct influence on SMEs’ performance. In the qualitative research, data were collected from 18 business owners or top executives in 18 SMEs. The results support and align with the quantitative research's results. In particular, the results illustrate that entrepreneurial leadership had both direct and indirect influence on SMEs' organizational performance. Business owners or top business leaders also play an important role in driving the organization, all decision making as well as the development of the firm's intellectual capital and organizational performance. Human capital is developed through the selection system, training and development of employee skills, and pushing employees to work hard. Structural capital is developed through the development of production processes, production technology, and the implementation of various systems used in organizational management. Furthermore, entrepreneurial leaders can enhance firms' relational capital by building and maintaining relationships between the organization and customers and suppliers, which lead to enabling the achievement of business performance. Taken together, the results from this research indicate that the business owners or top executives of SMEs play a significant role in fostering their firms' intellectual capital, which, in turn, influences business performance of SMEs.