From vision to export success: examining how and when entrepreneurial leadership drives export innovativeness

Purpose Our paper examines how entrepreneurial leadership (EL) impacts firm export innovativeness via digital transformation and supply chain agility. Using the dynamic capability view theory, our paper also explores the moderating impact of leaders’ boundary-spanning behavior on the connection between EL and export innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach To gauge the study hypotheses, time-lagged data were gathered from 244 firms in China. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the psychometric properties of the measures. The hypothesized links were gauged via the PROCESS macro. Findings Digital transformation and supply chain agility serially mediate the impact of EL on firm export innovativeness. Leaders’ boundary-spanning behavior strengthens the positive effect of EL on digital transformation and supply chain agility, enhancing the drivers of export innovativeness. Practical implications Our study highlights the significance of boosting EL that supports digital innovation and agile supply chains. Encouraging leaders to actively engage across organizational and external boundaries can strengthen these strategic capabilities, ultimately driving export performance and innovation in the global markets. Originality/value Our paper makes a novel contribution by integrating leader boundary-spanning behavior into the connection between EL and firm export innovativeness, a field that has been largely neglected in the pertinent literature. Our paper advances the understanding of how EL fosters export innovativeness through key organizational capabilities, and how this process is shaped by individual-level boundary-spanning behaviors. The framework offers both theoretical insights and practical guidance for firms seeking effective market entry and long-term competitiveness in international markets.