The Impact of Entrepreneurial Leadership on Strategic Renewal: A Field Study on University Leaders At King Abdulaziz University

This study aimed to explore the impact of entrepreneurial leadership dimensions (vision, creativity, risk-taking, and opportunity exploitation) on achieving strategic renewal among the leadership of King Abdulaziz University, in light of the need to adopt renewal strategies that keep pace with rapid changes in higher education. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach and relied on a questionnaire administered to a simple random sample of 265 academic and administrative leaders out of the total study population of 843 individuals. The results indicated that entrepreneurial leadership is practiced at a high level, with the vision dimension scoring an average of 4.06, risk-taking 4.01, and opportunity exploitation 4.02. The average practice level of strategic renewal was 4.06, with a noticeable emphasis on exploratory and exploitative renewal as well as participatory leadership. However, no statistically significant relationship was recorded between the entrepreneurial leadership dimensions and strategic renewal, indicating a limited actual impact of these dimensions on policy and practice renewal. Furthermore, no differences were found in participants’ responses attributable to gender, age, or job position, while differences emerged in favor of those with longer experience regarding entrepreneurial leadership only. The study recommends enhancing the integration of entrepreneurial leadership dimensions within strategic plans, developing training programs that support creativity and risk-taking, and activating executive mechanisms to translate vision into institutional practices that foster strategic renewal.