Entrepreneurial Leadership and Collaborative Resilience: How Positive Relational Dynamics Shape Entrepreneurial Cognition in Emerging Economies

Gelmar García-Vidal (), Laritza Guzmán-Vilar, Rodobaldo Martínez-Vivar, Alexander Sánchez-Rodríguez () and Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer
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Gelmar García-Vidal: Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
Laritza Guzmán-Vilar: Independent Researcher, Quito 170527, Ecuador
Rodobaldo Martínez-Vivar: Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
Alexander Sánchez-Rodríguez: Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Industries, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador
Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer: Faculty of Law, Administrative and Social Sciences, Universidad UTE, Quito 170527, Ecuador

Administrative Sciences, 2025, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-28

Abstract: Despite growing scholarly interest in leadership within entrepreneurial settings, little is known about how relational leadership operates in informal, resource-constrained ecosystems. This study examines how entrepreneurial leadership fosters positive relational dynamics and collaborative resilience within Ecuador’s highly informal entrepreneurial ecosystem. Drawing on entrepreneurial cognition and relational leadership theories, it investigates how entrepreneurs act as informal leaders who cultivate trust, empathy, and mutual support in the absence of formal institutional structures. Using an original mixed-method lexical–clustering design, data were collected from 880 micro and small entrepreneurs in Quito, who categorized 75 entrepreneurial attributes using a forced-choice instrument. Two dominant narratives emerged: collaborative resilience (65%), defined by empathy, adaptability, and social cohesion, and structural vulnerability (35%), marked by bureaucracy, fear, and emotional strain. Gender differences revealed that women emphasize relational stress and communal coping, while men focus on structural barriers and operational constraints. The findings extend leadership research by demonstrating how positive relational processes enable entrepreneurs to transform adversity into collective strength. The study advances relational leadership theory by revealing its cognitive and emotional foundations in nontraditional contexts. It offers policy insights for designing inclusive, trust-based ecosystems that promote psychological safety, collaboration, and sustainable entrepreneurship in emerging economies.

Keywords: entrepreneurial leadership; collaborative resilience; positive organizational behavior; relational dynamics; gendered cognition; informal economy; social support networks; emerging economies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L M M0 M1 M10 M11 M12 M14 M15 M16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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