Stina Sellgren, Goran Ekvall and Goran Tomson
The aim of this paper is to study the relation between leadership behaviour of nursing managers and staff turnover with respect to the intervening variables “work climate” and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to study the relation between leadership behaviour of nursing managers and staff turnover with respect to the intervening variables “work climate” and “job satisfaction”.
Design/methodology/approach
Three different well‐documented questionnaires were used to assess perceived leadership behaviour, work climate and job satisfaction. Data on staff turnover were collected from a computerized follow‐up system. Different statistical analyses such as correlation analyses, regression analyses and analyses of variance were performed in order to explore the relations.
Findings
The results show strong correlations between leadership behaviour, work climate and job satisfaction. No significant direct relation between leadership behaviour and staff turnover was shown. Staff turnover shows statistically significant correlations with the job satisfaction variable “feeling” (p≤0.005), and the work climate variables “challenge” and “playfulness” (p≤0.001).
Practical implications
In order to limit staff turnover, decision makers should put effort into recruiting and retaining managers that perform very well according to the needs of staff. Managers that are both relations‐oriented and production‐oriented, can manage change and are able to stimulate the staff with challenges have the best opportunities to achieve low staff turnover.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge there is no study published that explores the influence of leadership behaviour, including the dimension “change”, on staff turnover in relation to intervening intrinsic factors of job satisfaction and creative work climate in nursing.
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Fauziah Rabbani, S.M. Wasim Jafri, Farhat Abbas, Firdous Jahan, Nadir Ali Syed, Gregory Pappas, Syed Iqbal Azam, Mats Brommels and Göran Tomson
Organizational culture is a determinant for quality improvement. This paper aims to assess organizational culture in a hospital setting, understand its relationship with…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational culture is a determinant for quality improvement. This paper aims to assess organizational culture in a hospital setting, understand its relationship with perceptions about quality of care and identify areas for improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a cross‐sectional survey in a large clinical department that used two validated questionnaires. The first contained 20 items addressing perceptions of cultural typology (64 respondents). The second one assessed staff views on quality improvement implementation (48 faculty) in three domains: leadership, information and analysis and human resource utilization (employee satisfaction).
Findings
All four cultural types received scoring, from a mean of 17.5 (group), 13.7 (developmental), 31.2 (rational) to 37.2 (hierarchical). The latter was the dominant cultural type. Group (participatory) and developmental (open) culture types had significant positive correlation with optimistic perceptions about leadership (r=0.48 and 0.55 respectively, p<0.00). Hierarchical (bureaucratic) culture was significantly negatively correlated with domains; leadership (r=−0.61, p<0.00), information and analysis (−0.50, p<0.00) and employee satisfaction (r=−0.55, p<0.00). Responses reveal a need for leadership to better utilize suggestions for improving quality of care, strengthening the process of information analysis and encouraging reward and recognition for employees.
Research limitations/implications
It is likely that, by adopting a participatory and open culture, staff views about organizational leadership will improve and employee satisfaction will be enhanced. This finding has implications for quality care implementation in other hospital settings.
Originality/value
The paper bridges an important gap in the literature by addressing the relationship between culture and quality care perceptions in a Pakistani hospital. As such a new and informative perspective is added.
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Mia von Knorring, Hanna Karlsson, Elizabeth Stenwall, Matti Johannes Nikkola and Maria Niemi
This study aims to analyse student and teaching staff views on how higher education (HE) can contribute to sustainable development, and to provide examples of how a medical…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse student and teaching staff views on how higher education (HE) can contribute to sustainable development, and to provide examples of how a medical university has adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of its institutional strategies and practises.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on participant views from a conference, which aimed to identify actions needed for HE to contribute to the SDGs. More than 500 students, teachers and academic leaders participated at workshops to discuss and reflect on the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) in sustainable development. The discussion key points were recorded on flipcharts, and the analysis builds on all written statements from the nine workshops. Based on the findings from the workshop, steering documents and activities of a medical university were identified as examples of implementation.
Findings
Two overarching interdependent themes were identified and indicated a need to rethink the role not only of HE per se but also that of HEIs at large, to meet the challenges of sustainable development. The study also provides an example of how such organizational change can be practically implemented at a medical university, through the establishment of overarching institutional strategies, funding opportunities and external collaborations.
Practical implications
The findings reflect a “bottom-up” call from students and educational staff for HEIs to step up and contribute to systems change – both through a change in pedagogies, as well as through an institution-wide approach and a shift in the role of HEIs in society.
Originality/value
The study is unique in providing an exemplar of the implementation of sustainable development in HE at a specific medical university.
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Terje Slåtten, Göran Svensson and Sander Sværi
The objective of this paper is to test a selection of hypothesized relationships between: employees' perceived service quality; employees' turnover intentions; role clarity; and…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to test a selection of hypothesized relationships between: employees' perceived service quality; employees' turnover intentions; role clarity; and empowerment and coaching.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from theory, this paper develops a set of hypothesized relationships. The data collection is based on a survey with a sample of 1,076 frontline employees in service organizations.
Findings
There are indications that employees' perceived service quality has a direct negative effect on employees' turnover intentions. The effect of empowerment, coaching, and role clarity on turnover intention appears to be mediated through employees' perceived service quality.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to a selection of variables related to employees' turnover intentions. Future research may focus on testing other variables that may be related to employees' turnover intentions.
Practical implications
This study stresses the importance for managers in service organizations to measure employees' perceived service quality. The results show that there are both direct and indirect relationships to employees' turnover intentions. The conclusion is that employees' perceived service quality is an important consideration with respect to employee‐turnover management.
Originality/value
This study has developed and tested a set of hypothesized relationships in the field of service management.