Entrepreneurial leadership, AI adoption, and innovation performance: evidence from Indian entrepreneurial ventures

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of Entrepreneurial Leadership (EL) on Innovation Performance (IP) with the mediation of Organizational Learning Culture (OLC) and the moderation of Artificial Intelligence Adoption (AIA). There is little empirical evidence encompassing the complex elements of EL and OLC in the context of Indian companies. The authors believe that this study can support leaders in implementing the right strategies to foster a learning culture and drive innovation. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study of 241 employees working in entrepreneurial ventures across India was conducted using a survey questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine the mediation and moderation effects using the SPSS AMOS statistical package. Findings The findings of this study align with existing research in that EL does affect the OLC, and AIA plays a moderator role in this effect. However, OLC is not found to affect IP. The authors suggest that future researchers in this field can take into account other organizational features to examine the effect more closely. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings are limited by contextual factors and sample demographics. Future research should explore additional organizational traits and technological readiness for a deeper understanding of innovation performance enablers. Originality/value The findings of this study can be useful for practitioners, i.e. entrepreneurial leaders, in implementing strategies to drive a continuous learning and innovation culture throughout the firm to mitigate the effects of dynamism in external business environments.