Strategic Leadership and Organizational Behavior as Drivers of Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Emerging Asian Markets

This study investigates the role of strategic leadership and organizational behavior in shaping sustainable entrepreneurship outcomes across emerging Asian markets. As sustainability challenges intensify in developing regions, understanding the internal drivers that support environmentally and socially responsible entrepreneurial activity has become increasingly critical. Drawing on firm-level data extracted from two validated entrepreneurship datasets, the study examines the influence of transformational, ethical, and visionary leadership, as well as organizational culture, employee engagement, and learning orientation, on multiple sustainability indicators including sustainable innovation, environmental practices, social impact, and sustainable business performance. Using descriptive, correlation, and cross-country comparative analyses, the results reveal that organizational behavior variables exhibit strong, positive associations with sustainability outcomes, highlighting the central role of organizational culture and learning orientation in fostering sustainability-oriented innovation. Leadership variables also demonstrate moderate but meaningful positive relationships with sustainable business performance, suggesting that leadership remains a critical enabler of sustainability in entrepreneurial contexts. Country-level comparisons indicate substantial variation across Asian markets, reflecting differences in institutional support and cultural priorities. Overall, the findings underscore that sustainable entrepreneurship in emerging Asian economies is shaped by the dynamic interplay between leadership behaviors and organizational capabilities. The study contributes valuable empirical evidence to the sustainability and entrepreneurship literature and offers practical insights for policymakers and organizations seeking to strengthen sustainability-driven innovation and performance across the region.