Flexible Leadership: Bridging Gender Dynamics and Enhancing Enterprise Performance

Wenyan Luo

doi:10.63029/hd0n4v76

Authors

Wenyan Luo CEIBA Business School Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63029/hd0n4v76

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of flexible leadership on enterprise performance. It aims to examine the moderating roles of gender, enterprise size, and power distance, contributing to leadership theory and practice in non-Western contexts. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from 218 structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test hypotheses related to flexible leadership, organizational performance, and contextual moderators. The results confirm that flexible leadership positively influences both organizational and employee performance. Gender moderates this relationship, with female entrepreneurs leveraging flexible leadership to achieve higher performance outcomes despite systemic barriers. Enterprise size and power distance significantly influence the effectiveness of flexible leadership, highlighting the need for context-sensitive strategies.

Author Biography

Wenyan Luo, CEIBA Business School

Luo Wenyan is an associate researcher at CEIBA Business School in Hongkong. She holds a DBA from IPAG Business School and her research focus on female leadership and on leadership in the Chinese context.

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