Skip to main content

The Role of Entrepreneurial Leadership in City Region Economies: A Case of Developing Small Firm Leaders

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Entrepreneurial Learning City Regions

Abstract

Entrepreneurs are key actors in the knowledge economy and are fundamental to any entrepreneurial and dynamic ecosystem. They drive change and innovation through starting new ventures, growing businesses and investing in new ideas. They spot viable opportunities, they mobilise resources, they take risks and they are action focussed. The capacity and capability of entrepreneurs to lead and develop their ventures affect future success and sustainability. How entrepreneurial actors learn to lead is then central to developing a strong and adaptable ecosystem able to respond to the challenges presented by unpredictable and complex environments. This chapter presents a case study of how a leadership learning programme has been used in Wales to improve the learning of leaders of SMEs and how this has subsequently impacted on the regional economy as a result.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adair J (2009) Effective leadership: how to be a successful leader. Pan Macmillan

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolden R, Terry R (2000) Leadership development in small and medium sized enterprises: phase 1 report. Centre for leadership studies. University of Exeter

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope J, Watts G (2000) Learning by doing: an exploration of experience, critical incidents and reflection in entrepreneurial learning. Int J Entrep Behav Res 6(3):104–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Department for Innovation, Hayton J (2015) Leadership business and management skills in small and medium-sized skills

    Google Scholar 

  • Dinh JE et al (2014) Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: current theoretical trends and changing perspectives. Leadersh Q 25:36–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drucker P (1985) Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartner WB (1988) Who is an entrepreneur? Is the wrong question. Am J Small Bus 13:11–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibb AA (1987) Education for enterprise: training for small business initiation—some contrasts. J Small Bus Entrep 4(3):42–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibb AA, Haskins G, Hannon P, and Robertson I (2012) Leading the entrepreneurial university: meeting the entrepreneurial development needs of higher education (2009, updated 2012). NCEE. business, BIS research papers 211/224

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannon P et al (2015) From leadership to growth: lessons learned from the LEAD wales and leading growth programmes. Swansea University

    Google Scholar 

  • Huxtable-Thomas LA, Hannon PD, Thomas S (in press) An investigation into the role of emotion in leadership development for entrepreneurs: a four interface model. Int J Entrep Behav Res (Accepted for publication, Mar 2016)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgenson DW (1992) Productivity and international competitiveness. Econ Stud Q 43(4):291–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelsey C (2016) The story of the Tata Steel UK sell off so far. Wales Online [online] 26 April. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/story-tata-steel-uk-sell-11243414. Accessed 26 Apr 2016

  • Kempster S (2009) How managers have learnt to lead: exploring the development of leadership practice. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, p 253

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kuratko DF (2007) Entrepreneurial leadership in the 21st century: guest editor’s perspective. J Lead & Org Stu 13(4):1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Love JH, Roper S (2015) SME innovation, exporting and growth: a review of existing evidence. Int Small Bus J 33(1):28–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ONS (2015) Regional gross value added (income approach). December 2015. http://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossvalueaddedgva/bulletins/regionalgrossvalueaddedincomeapproach/december2015. Accessed 28 Feb 2016

  • Pittaway L, Thorpe R (2012) A framework for entrepreneurial learning: a tribute to Jason Cope. Entrep Reg Dev 24(9/10):837–859

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pittaway L, Huxtable-Thomas L, Hannon PD (forthcoming) Entrepreneurial learning and educational practice. In: The SAGE handbook for entrepreneurship and small business. Sage, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Rae D (2005) Entrepreneurial learning: a narrative-based conceptual model. J Small Bus Enterp Dev 12:323–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rae D (2013) The contribution of momentary perspectives to entrepreneurial learning and creativity. Ind High Educ 27(6):407–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roomi MA, Harrison P (2011) Entrepreneurial leadership: what is it and how should it be taught? Int Rev Entrep 9(3):1–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwab K, Xavier S (eds) (2011) The global competitiveness report 2011–2012. World Economic Forum, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Shalley CE, Gilson LL (2004) What leaders need to know: a review of social and contextual factors that can foster or hinder creativity. The Lead Quart 15(1):33–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Soriano DR, Martinez JMC (2007) Transmitting the entrepreneurial spirit to the work team in SMEs: the importance of leadership. Manage Decis 45(7):1102–1122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • StatsWales (2015) Economic inactivity rates by UK Country/English region and quarter (seasonally adjusted). https://statswales.wales.gov.uk/Catalogue/Business-Economy-and-Labour-Market/People-and-Work/Economic-Inactivity/economicinactivityrates-by-ukcountryenglishregion-quarter. Accessed 28 Feb 2016

  • Surie G, Ashley A (2007) Integrating pragmatism and ethics in entrepreneurial leadership for sustainable value creation. J Bus Ethics 81:235–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Upton DM (1995) What really makes factories flexible. Har Bus Rev 73(4):74–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio RP (2003) Entrepreneurship and leadership: common trends and common threads. Hum Resour Manage Rev 13(2):303–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welsh Assembly Government (2008) Skills that work for Wales: a skills and employment strategy and action plan. Department for Children, Education and Lifelong Learning and Skills, Welsh Government, Cardiff

    Google Scholar 

  • Welsh Government (2015) Previous European structural funds programmes. http://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/previous/?lang=en. Accessed 12 Jan 2016

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Louisa Huxtable-Thomas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Huxtable-Thomas, L., Hannon, P. (2018). The Role of Entrepreneurial Leadership in City Region Economies: A Case of Developing Small Firm Leaders. In: James, J., Preece, J., Valdés-Cotera, R. (eds) Entrepreneurial Learning City Regions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61130-3_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61130-3_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-61129-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-61130-3

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics