Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

John U. Kitoko

Abstract

Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are drivers of economic growth and development worldwide. SMEs in the Greater Accra region of Ghana have not been able to innovate and sustain competition. The problem in this phenomenological study was that leaders of SMEs in this region have not fully understood the contributions of the transformational leadership model to the capacity of organizations to innovate and sustain competitiveness. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of leaders of SMEs in Ghana in leveraging organizational capabilities for innovation and competitiveness. The study’s conceptual framework was grounded in transformational leadership. The research question sought participants’ experiences in leveraging their organizational capacities for innovation and sustaining global competitiveness. Eligibility criteria for participants were a minimum of 5 years of leadership experience and at least 5 employees. Data were collected from 20 SME leaders in this region who responded to semistructured interview questions through phone. Transcribing and member checking data helped to establish the trustworthiness of the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. The findings of this study revealed that current leadership styles were not attaining the desired organizational outcomes. The results showed that leadership improvements were needed to ensure and sustain future performance. A recommendation is that the SME leaders adopt transformational leadership to leverage the innovative capabilities of their SMEs. The implication for positive social change might be that adopting the transformational leadership style might translate into competitive and sustainable SMEs.

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