Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior
Abstract The business market through which start-ups operate has become intensively competitive in recent years. Developing employees’ entrepreneurial behavior is thus a priority for thriving in such conditions. This research attempts to explore the antecedent of such behavior by testing a research...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02680-6 |
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| author | Razan Abanumay Eman Alalwani Suad Dukhaykh |
| author_facet | Razan Abanumay Eman Alalwani Suad Dukhaykh |
| author_sort | Razan Abanumay |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The business market through which start-ups operate has become intensively competitive in recent years. Developing employees’ entrepreneurial behavior is thus a priority for thriving in such conditions. This research attempts to explore the antecedent of such behavior by testing a research model that incorporates the linkages between entrepreneurial leadership, psychological empowerment, and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior. The structural equation modeling analysis performed on a sample of 256 employees working in Saudi start-up companies showed that entrepreneurial leadership has no direct effect on employees’ entrepreneurial behavior; instead, the impact turned out to be indirect through enhancing employees’ psychological empowerment. The study holds several implications for researchers and practitioners in the field. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c2a0958620b497cb66ecc302dbd52a1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c2a0958620b497cb66ecc302dbd52a12025-08-20T03:06:53ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-04-0113111410.1186/s40359-025-02680-6Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behaviorRazan Abanumay0Eman Alalwani1Suad Dukhaykh2Management Department, College of Business, King Saud UniversityManagement Department, College of Business, King Saud UniversityManagement Department, College of Business, King Saud UniversityAbstract The business market through which start-ups operate has become intensively competitive in recent years. Developing employees’ entrepreneurial behavior is thus a priority for thriving in such conditions. This research attempts to explore the antecedent of such behavior by testing a research model that incorporates the linkages between entrepreneurial leadership, psychological empowerment, and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior. The structural equation modeling analysis performed on a sample of 256 employees working in Saudi start-up companies showed that entrepreneurial leadership has no direct effect on employees’ entrepreneurial behavior; instead, the impact turned out to be indirect through enhancing employees’ psychological empowerment. The study holds several implications for researchers and practitioners in the field.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02680-6Entrepreneurial leadershipPsychological empowermentRisk takingProactivenessInnovativeness |
| spellingShingle | Razan Abanumay Eman Alalwani Suad Dukhaykh Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior BMC Psychology Entrepreneurial leadership Psychological empowerment Risk taking Proactiveness Innovativeness |
| title | Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior |
| title_full | Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior |
| title_fullStr | Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior |
| title_short | Unleashing employees’ entrepreneurial potential in Saudi start-up companies: the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees’ entrepreneurial behavior |
| title_sort | unleashing employees entrepreneurial potential in saudi start up companies the role of psychological empowerment as a mediator between entrepreneurial leadership and employees entrepreneurial behavior |
| topic | Entrepreneurial leadership Psychological empowerment Risk taking Proactiveness Innovativeness |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02680-6 |
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