Sustained Firm Performance and Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Case Study of a Leading Higher Education Institution

Abstract

The success story of the “Sakya Group of Higher Education”, a leading group of private educational institutes was narrated in this case study, “Sustained Firm Performance through Entrepreneurial Leadership: A Case Study of “Sakya Group of Higher Education”. Since the inception of the “Sakya Academy” in 1999, the institute performed well due to its uniqueness from the other competitors in the higher education industry in terms of its infrastructure facilities, quality of teaching, and the quality of learning materials. A comprehensive literature review is carried out to highlight theoretical underpinnings by using numerous research articles. The firm performance is defined in the study using different measures including financial and non-financial measures. Revenue is used as a measure of financial performance whereas student count and no. of employees are considered as measures of non-financial performance. The sustained performance of the “Sakya Group of Higher Education” is examined by evaluating both financial and non-financial measures. Moreover, the study identifies three key drivers; exhibiting entrepreneurial leadership, adapting internal corporate venturing, and executing operational practices that drive the sustained performance of the “Sakya Group of Higher Education” with the moderating impact of the industrial competition. A case study framework was established by indicating key drivers and the outcome. The authors conducted 17 in-depth interviews and five focus group discussions based on the structured interview guide to validate the case study findings aside from secondary sources used to gather data through company websites, newspaper articles, social media references, and internal reports. The case study findings will be useful for future researchers and the other private educational institutes can apply practical implications to their operations.