Analysis of the relationship between leadership styles an‎d customer key performance indicators in technology startups

5/22/2026 12:00:00 AM

In the competitive an‎d rapidly changing environment of technology-based startups, the leadership style of managers plays a crucial role in achieving success, creating value for customers, an‎d improving customer performance indicators. This study aims to examine the impact of different leadership styles on key customer performance indicators in technology-based startups. Transformational, transactional, entrepreneurial, an‎d Collaborative leadership styles are considered as independent variables, while key customer performance indicators are treated as the dependent variable.The research design is descriptive–correlational, an‎d data were collected through stan‎dardized questionnaires. To measure transformational an‎d transactional leadership, the leadership style questionnaire by Bass an‎d Olive (1985) was used. Collaborative leadership was assessed using Chen’s questionnaire (2021). Entrepreneurial leadership was measured using the questionnaire by Malek Al-Akhlaq et al. (1392). Customer performance was eva‎luated using the questionnaire by Segura et al. (2007). The statistical population included managers, founders, an‎d employees of technology-based startups. Using a combination of purposive–ran‎dom sampling, 100 participants were selec‎ted. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic information of respondents in Excel, an‎d then the data were analyzed in SPSS. Given that the data were normally distributed, Pearson’s correlation test was used to test the research hypotheses, an‎d regression analysis was employed to predict the study variables.The findings indicate that all leadership styles (transformational, entrepreneurial, Collaborative , an‎d transactional) have a positive an‎d statistically significant effect on improving key customer performance indicators. Among these, Collaborative leadership has the greatest impact on improving customer performance an‎d is identified as the most important predictor. Next, in descending order of importance, transactional leadership, followed by transformational leadership, an‎d then entrepreneurial leadership are ranked.Therefore, leaders of technology-based startups should foster improvements in customer performance by involving employees in decision-making, using transparent performance mechanisms, inspiring an‎d motivating teams, an‎d sustaining a culture of innovation an‎d risk-taking, which ultimately contributes to ensuring product quality an‎d enhancing customer outcomes.

استارتاپ , رهبري تحول‌آفرين , رهبري كارآفرينانه , رهبري مشاركتي , رهبري مبادلاتي , شاخص عملكرد مشتري

Startup , Transformational leadership , Entrepreneurial leadership , Collaborative Leadership , Transactional Leadership , Customer Performance Indicator

Mahdiye Asadi

Dr.Abdolhoseinzade