Entrepreneurial Leadership and Performance Outcomes in Large-Scale Energy Infrastructure Projects: Contextual Boundaries and Organizational Mechanisms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajenr.v5i1.7407Keywords:
Absorptive Capacity, Dynamic Capabilities, Energy Megaprojects, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Project PerformanceAbstract
Large-scale energy infrastructure projects consistently underperform against cost and schedule targets, prompting interest in alternative leadership paradigms. This study investigates whether entrepreneurial leadership improves performance outcomes in energy megaprojects, and under what contextual conditions its effectiveness is bounded. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, combining survey data from 243 project managers across 18 countries with in-depth case analysis of six megaprojects each exceeding USD 500 million in capital expenditure. Hierarchical regression with bootstrapped mediation and moderation analysis was applied to quantitative data, while thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke (2006) structured qualitative inquiry. Results indicate that leaders combining opportunity recognition and stakeholder orchestration with calibrated risk protocols achieve 18% better schedule performance and 22% higher stakeholder satisfaction relative to control-oriented counterparts. However, these effects are mediated by organizational learning culture and dynamic capabilities, and are moderated by regulatory restrictiveness and absorptive capacity. Critically, the relationship between risk-taking and budget performance is curvilinear, with diminishing returns beyond the 70th percentile of the risk-taking scale. The findings challenge universalist prescriptions for entrepreneurial leadership and reveal that effectiveness depends on leadership dimension, institutional context, and organizational maturity. Practitioners are advised to treat entrepreneurial leadership as a configurable portfolio.
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