Ambidextrous Leadership for SMEs in the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has compounded the challenges of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Apart from the operational challenges that business owners need to sort out for their SMEs, regulatory disruption is a factor in the business environment influencing business operations and sustainability. This chapter examines the place of ambidextrous leadership in sustaining SMEs in the post-pandemic era. A desktop research approach was adopted to analyze the impact of ambidextrous leadership on the innovative performance of SMEs through empirical studies conducted in big conglomerates, as well as SMEs. This chapter found that ambidextrous leadership is positively associated with the innovation of SMEs in the high-tech sector in developed and developing countries. Entrepreneurs may adopt an ambidextrous leadership style to drive the innovative performance of their businesses in the pandemic period. Ambidextrous leadership is fundamental in promoting workforce creativity, continuous business process improvement, and resource-efficiency.