Driving Innovation: Entrepreneurial Leadership in the Jordanian IT Sector, the Role of Artificial Intelligence

This study investigates the interplay between entrepreneurial leadership and innovation performance in Jordanian IT firms, with a specific focus on the strategic role of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Grounded in a quantitative methodology, data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 162 professionals within the Jordanian IT sector. The research model positions AI not merely as a tool but as a potential catalytic factor, examining its direct and moderating effects on the leadership–innovation dynamic. Entrepreneurial leadership was assessed through the dimensions of innovative thinking, pro-activeness, and risk-taking, while innovation performance was measured across product, process, and organizational domains. The findings demonstrate that entrepreneurial leadership exerts a significant positive influence on innovation performance. Beyond the primary leadership effect, our data also reveal a significant, direct benefit from AI adoption on innovation outcomes. However, contrary to the proposed hypothesis, the analysis indicates that AI does not function as a statistically significant moderator in the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and innovation. This suggests that, within this context, AI operates as a parallel driver of innovation rather than an enhancer of the leadership’s effectiveness. The study provides a critical contribution to the literature by challenging the assumed interactive role of AI in leadership models within emerging economies. It offers actionable insights for leaders in technology firms, emphasizing the imperative of developing strong entrepreneurial leadership capabilities and pursuing strategic AI adoption as complementary, yet independent, pathways to achieving superior innovation.