Entrepreneurial leadership as a mediating role in the effect of employees’ cognitive agility on ambidextrous performance of businesses in the industrial towns of Ardabil

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran (Corresponding Author).

2 Department of Management, Moghaddas Ardabili Higher Education Institute, Ardabil, Iran

3 Department of Management, Moghaddas Ardabili Higher Education Institute, Ardabil, Iran:

Abstract

Achieving competitive advantage in dynamic industries requires "ambidexterity performance," which is to create a balance between resource exploitation and opportunity exploration. This study aimed to investigate the effect of intellectual agility on ambidexterity performance, by explaining the mediating role of entrepreneurial leadership. The research method is descriptive-correlational and applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population consisted of 3000 employees of production units in industrial towns of Ardabil province, of which 341 were randomly selected according to the Morgan table, and 289 correct questionnaires were analyzed. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling in SPSS and LISREL software. The findings from structural equation modeling showed that intellectual agility has a positive and significant effect on ambidexterity performance (β = 0.73) and entrepreneurial leadership (β = 0.65). Entrepreneurial leadership also has an effect on ambidexterity performance (β = 0.58) and plays a mediating role in this relationship according to the Sobel test (Z = 8.78). The results of the sub-hypotheses also confirmed that the dimensions of intellectual agility including organizational innovation (β = 0.78), innovative culture (β = 0.72), empowerment (β = 0.70) and mental agility (β = 0.69) are key drivers of ambidexterity performance. Accordingly, developing employees' cognitive capabilities and institutionalizing entrepreneurial leadership are recommended to improve competitive advantage in industrial environments.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Education and Management of Entrepreneurship

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 August 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 April 2026
  • Revise Date: 23 July 2026
  • Accept Date: 26 August 2026

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