Abstract
Purpose
Emerging economies face intertwined challenges of institutional fragility, socio-economic inequality, environmental degradation, and limited access to formal entrepreneurial support systems. While entrepreneurial leadership has been recognised as a critical driver of innovation under such conditions, the specific contribution of female entrepreneurial leadership to sustainable innovation remains insufficiently theorised. Existing research often frames women entrepreneurs through deficit-based narratives focused on barriers and access constraints, rather than examining their leadership agency in shaping sustainability transitions. This study investigates how female entrepreneurial leadership contributes to sustainable innovation within emerging economies characterised by institutional voids and gendered structural inequalities.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a qualitative multiple case study design involving twelve female-led ventures operating across renewable energy, agribusiness, education technology, and circular economy sectors in Kenya, India, and Jordan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with founders and key stakeholders, supported by documentary analysis. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo, allowing theory-building grounded in empirical patterns while remaining informed by sustainability-oriented innovation and gendered entrepreneurship scholarship.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that female entrepreneurial leadership facilitates sustainable innovation through three interconnected mechanisms: (1) inclusive and community-embedded innovation models; (2) purpose-driven and relational leadership practices that align economic and social value creation; and (3) adaptive resource mobilisation strategies in contexts of institutional constraint. Leadership identity and gendered socio-cultural positioning were found to shape stakeholder engagement, legitimacy construction, and ecosystem orchestration.
Originality/value
This study advances entrepreneurial leadership theory by proposing a framework of Gender-Responsive Sustainable Entrepreneurial Leadership (GRSEL), integrating sustainability-oriented innovation, institutional theory, and gendered leadership scholarship. It challenges deficit-based perspectives by positioning female entrepreneurial leadership as a catalytic force in sustainability transitions within emerging market ecosystems.