Entrepreneurial leadership in retail pharmacy: developing economy perspective

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to uncover the challenges facing entrepreneurs in a developing economy, using the retail pharmacy sector in Nigeria. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial leadership attributes that have proved to be valuable in overcoming the challenges faced in this sector will be identified. Design/methodology/approach The study is exploratory. Data collection is based on semi-structured interviews with retail pharmacy entrepreneurs and their employees. Although there has been some body of literature on entrepreneurial leadership, (Fernald et al., 2005; Gupta et al., 2004), none have addressed the nexus of leadership and entrepreneurship (Cogliser and Brigham, 2004) from the retail pharmacy sector of a developing economy. Findings Findings show that retail pharmacy entrepreneurs in a developing economy are faced with challenges such as inadequate capital and poor infrastructural facilities. However, despite these challenges, these entrepreneurial leaders were successful because of key attributes, namely, vision, risk-taking and opportunity recognition and exploitation. Research limitations/implications The sample size is a limitation to the study. Future studies with a larger sampling base as well as a different sector will provide greater insight. Originality/value This study is the first qualitative study to explore the impact of entrepreneurial leadership in the retail pharmacy sector in Nigeria. It identified the training needs for entrepreneurs in this context. By the participants sharing their experiences, the study identified the prerequisites for success, hence motivating other retail pharmacy entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurial leadership in a developing economy: a skill-based analysis

“…This approach facilitates subsequent analysis in which patterns in the data can be examined and explored (Paul et al, 2007). The developed interview protocol was based on the evidence of a comprehensive literature review and the findings of previous studies (Harrison et al, 2016a;Harrison et al, 2016b). Majority of the prior studies on entrepreneurial leadership had neglected the skill perspective focusing on attributes (e.g.…”

“…Across this emerging paradigm, the concept of Entrepreneurial Leadership has been explored across several contexts (Carpenter, 2012;Currie et al, 2008;D'Intino et al, 2008;Hansson and Mønsted, 2008;Harrison et al, 2016a;Kansikas et al, 2012;Leitch et al, 2009;Leitch et al, 2012;Mapunda, 2007;Santora et al, 1999). However, there has been little scholarship which has examined the concept from the perspective of a developing economy (Chen, 2007;Harrison et al, 2016a;Hejazi et al, 2012). Exploring entrepreneurial leadership from this perspective will provide a valuable contextual perspective through illustrating a challenging entrepreneurial setting (Harrison et al, 2016b).…”

“…While researchers have defined entrepreneurship as leadership within a narrower context (Vecchio, 2003), entrepreneurial leadership illustrates the diversity within the field of leadership. The concept has been examined from the context of family business (Kansikas et al, 2012), SMEs (Leitch et al, 2009), non-profit organisations (Santora et al, 1999), indigenous businesses (Mapunda, 2007;Harrison et al, 2016a), directors of libraries (Carpenter, 2012), gender (Patterson et al, 2012a;2012b), ethics (Surie and Ashley, 2008) and human, social and institutional capital (Leitch et al, 2012). As reflected by this variety in context and settings, entrepreneurial leadership has been proposed as a concept which entrepreneurs should embrace to maintain their competitiveness across dynamic business environments (Fernald et al, 2005).…”

Entrepreneurship: an assimilated multi-perspective review

“…The entrepreneurial attributes of risk, innovation and pro-activity have been maintained in further theoretical developments. The entrepreneurial leadership paradigm, as identified within the leadership school as a potential research stream, propagates these entrepreneurial attributes as a determinant of enactment and success (Ahmed and Ramzan, 2013;Gupta, MacMillan, and Surie 2004;Harrison, Paul, and Burnard 2016;Harrison, Burnard and Paul, 2017). Furthermore, this paradigm which has emerged at the intersection of leadership and entrepreneurship, also produces debate on the context in which it can be enacted (Cogliser and Brigham 2004).…”

“…Furthermore, the role of teams which is acknowledged by both the entrepreneurial leadership paradigm and the leadership school of entrepreneurship can be further explored (Bird and Schjoedt 2009;Chen 2007). Harrison, Paul, and Burnard (2016) and Harrison, Burnard and Stuart (2017) found entrepreneurial leaders in a developing economy to engage in opportunity processes, similar to the entrepreneur and intrapreneur. Further research of opportunity processes could also inform both fields and aid development.…”