Khasan Setiaji, Indri Murniawaty, Kusumantoro
This study analyses the interrelationship between entrepreneurial leadership, ethical climate, and sustainable university identity, and their effects on entrepreneurial practice within higher education institutions. Grounded in institutional theory and the entrepreneurial university framework (Audretsch, 2014; Etzkowitz & Klofsten, 2005), the study aims to clarify the role of internal governance mechanisms in shaping sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial outcomes. Data were collected through a structured survey of 391 lecturers and administrative staff at Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia, and the proposed relationships were assessed using confirmatory factor and structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial leadership does not have a direct effect on entrepreneurial practice; however, its influence becomes significant when mediated by sustainable university identity. Ethical climate shows a direct positive effect on entrepreneurial practice, but does not exert an indirect effect through sustainable university identity. These results highlight the central role of institutional identity in translating leadership value into sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions. The study contributes to the literature on sustainable university governance by demonstrating that the integration of entrepreneurial leadership and ethical climate strengthens a higher education institution’s commitment to sustainability and reinforces its identity as an agent of sustainable development within the higher education sector. © 2026 The Authors.
Department of Economics Education, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
