Healthcare Managers/Executives/Administrators
OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between leadership and employee outcomes in a non-U.S. based hospital setting.
METHODOLOGY Sample consisted of registered nurses in Singapore General Hospital (20 managers and 97 of their constituents). Respondents completed the LPI, Job-inGeneral scale (Smith, et al., 1989) to assess job satisfaction, organizational commitment scale (Porter, et al., 1974), productivity scale (McNeese-Smith, 1995), and provided demographic information. Most respondents were female (90%+), between 50-59 years of age (60%), with at least seven years of service (67%)
KEY FINDINGS Statistically significant (p < .001) and positive relationships were found between each leadership practice and the productivity, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees. When controlling for demographic data, none of the leadership practices was found to be a predictor for productivity (using regression analysis). Inspiring and Enabling emerged as significant predictors of job satisfaction (explained variance = 29.2%). Inspiring and Encouraging emerged as the predictors for organizational commitment (explained variance = 21.8%.
"Based on the findings in this research, it is indicated that managers' use of leadership behaviors influence employee outcomes." "Leadership behavior as the key to productive and happily satisfied nurses with great organizational commitment (Kennerly, 1996) remains crucial for delivering high quality health care (Frank, Eckrich & Rohr, 1997), and is needed more than ever for even the mere survival of any health care organization" (p. 36).