Distributed leadership in healthcare: Exploring its impacts on technical quality

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of distributed leadership (DL) on technical quality (TQ) from the perspective of healthcare workers.

Methods: Data were collected from 407 healthcare workers (HWs) selected from 3 hospitals in İzmir. Data were obtained using a structured questionnaire.

Findings: Exploratory factor analyses were carried out to determine construct validity of the DL and TQ scales. Three DL factors were identified: hospital structure, cooperation and decision making, and initiative and responsibility; whereas one factor was identified for the TQ scale. Correlation analyses indicated a significant relationship between the TQ and DL dimensions while the regression analyses showed that hospital culture, cooperation and decision making, and initiative and responsibility significantly determined TQ. However, hospital structure had no effect.

Conclusion: Cooperation and decision making, and responsibility and initiative are major characteristics of the leadership in the DL approach. The study results emphasize that implementation of DL in hospitals can improve TQ from the perspective of HWs.

KEYWORDS:

• Distributed leadership
• health professionals
• technical quality
• healthcare quality management
• healthcare

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

İpek Aydin

İpek Aydın graduated from Ankara University, Department of Healthcare Management. In 2018 she also graduated as a PhD in Business Administration at the Katip Çelebi University. She is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Sport Sciences, Department of Recreation at Dokuz Eylul University.

Nezih M. Özmutaf

Nezih M. Özmutaf graduated from Anadolu University, Department of Statistic. He graduated as a PhD in Business Administration at the Süleyman Demirel University. He is Professor in the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration at Katip Çelebi University.