Social entrepreneurship: the role of national leadership culture

Purpose Social entrepreneurship has emerged as an important realm of entrepreneurship during the last decade. Research on what motivates social entrepreneurial activity continues to be of interest in the field. Given the integral role of the social entrepreneur, one area identified as deserving more attention is the leadership traits of the social entrepreneur. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a conceptual model on the role of national leadership culture on social entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach As part of the social fabric of a country, national leadership culture is viewed as a social contextual factor that can either enhance or hinder social entrepreneurial activity. As its broader conceptual base, this paper relies on institutional theory, marketing systems and leadership theory. At the heart of the proposed conceptual model are six leadership dimensions from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) theoretical model: charismatic/value-based, team-oriented, participative, self-protective, humane-oriented and autonomous. These leadership dimensions are central to the propositions that accompany the proposed conceptual model. Findings Implications of this research for entrepreneurial marketing and public policy are presented. Since this research is conjectural, future directions for empirical research on national leadership culture in social entrepreneurship are discussed. Originality/value The conceptual model is the first to examine the role of national leadership culture on social entrepreneurship. The research adds value to the growing body of research on social entrepreneurship in its social context. It answers the call in the literature to examine leadership as it pertains to the individual entrepreneur’s pre-disposition to engage in social entrepreneurial activity.