Pages: (85-104 )
Abstract
Entrepreneurial leadership has emerged as a critical determinant of firm performance in dynamic and uncertain business environments, particularly in developing economies. Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, despite its strategic importance to economic diversification and employment generation, continues to face persistent performance challenges. This study examines the effect of entrepreneurial leadership styles, transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire, on manufacturing firm performance in Nigeria. Adopting a survey research design, data were collected from 397 employees of manufacturing firms across Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, including multiple regression analysis, were employed for data analysis. The findings reveal that transformational entrepreneurial leadership has a strong and positive effect on manufacturing firm performance, while transactional leadership has a moderate but significant effect. In contrast, laissez-faire leadership exerts a negative and significant influence on firm performance. The study concludes that entrepreneurial leadership is a critical intangible resource for enhancing manufacturing firm performance in Nigeria. The paper recommends the adoption of transformational leadership practices, leadership development interventions, and supportive policy frameworks to strengthen entrepreneurial leadership capacity in the manufacturing sector.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial leadership, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, laissez-faire leadership, manufacturing firms, Nigeria,