How do non-native entrepreneurs enact leadership in (food) startups founded in Sweden?

Sammanfattning: The world is becoming more globalized and people from various countries are starting their businesses abroad. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze cultural behaviors, norms, and values for foreigners to adapt to different cultures. As Sweden is known for being the global leader in innovation and recognized as the leader in modernization, the country offers numerous entrepreneurial opportunities for entrepreneurs, inviting foreigners to start their ventures Sweden. The research is conducted to create an insight on how non-native entrepreneurs enact leadership in food startups they have founded in Sweden. It considers the different forms of leadership and cultural behaviors using the theories of Hofstede, The Lewis Model, and elements of the GLOBE report; a study on diverse cultures took place and its relation to blending foreigner cultures in the Swedish entrepreneurial startup environment. This qualitative research takes a cognitive approach in understanding how international leadership experiences shaped the non-native entrepreneurs’ leadership styles in food startups, outside their own cultural business environment. By analyzing their cultural behaviors in leadership based on their international experiences and comparing such results with literature, the researchers were able to narrow the research gap of the different cultural behaviors with regards to leadership in the Swedish entrepreneurial environment. It was found that non-native entrepreneurial leaders possess a key advantage having dealt with uncertainty while attaining experiences abroad. The non-native entrepreneurial leaders appear to interchange leadership styles, based on the situation. Then, it was also found that the perception of the non-native leaders regarding success does not match with the non-competitiveness within the Swedish business environment. Based on the collected data, leaders who intend to start up their ventures in Sweden need a clearly defined vision and a clear purpose that matches with the individual team members’ values. Individual team members should be allowed and encouraged to act autonomously and entrepreneurially, and accomplishments should be recognized and celebrated by leaders. Therefore, non-native entrepreneurial leaders need to create a sense of safety for individuals to openly share ideas and opinions, which must be considered by the entrepreneurial leader.