ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND HEAD NURSE LEADERSHIP: THE RELATIONSHIP TO NURSES' JOB SATISFACTION AND TURNOVER IN HOSPITAL SETTINGS.
Contributors: Georgia State University.
Published: 1990
Number of pages: 256
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Health Care Management.
Description: Purpose. This study investigated the relationships among the leadership of head nurses (HNs) in hospital inpatient units, the type of organizational culture in those units, and the job satisfaction and turnover of unit registered nurses (RNs). These relationships were examined to contribute to an understanding of unit culture and its association with HN leadership and RN employee outcomes.

Method and procedures. This exploratory study included a nonprobability sample of 274 RNs and 25 HNs from medical, surgical, and special care units in four urban hospitals. An anonymous survey instrument was used, including previously developed measures of organizational culture, job satisfaction, and leadership. Leadership was conceptualized as consideration and initiating structure behaviors; organizational culture as bureaucratic, innovative, or supportive; and job satisfaction as unidimensional. The age, sex, length of service, and level of nursing education of the respondents were included as was the clinical specialty of the hospital unit. Turnover data were obtained from hospital records.

Thirteen research questions were posed to determine the relationships among the variables of interest. Data analysis included correlation, analysis of variance, and descriptive statistics.

Results and conclusions. A general relationship was demonstrated between type of unit culture and RN turnover and job satisfaction, but inconsistencies in these relationships among subgroups were noted. Leader behaviors were related to job satisfaction but not to turnover. Turnover was lower in special care units where unit culture tended to be more innovative. No association was found between personal variables and other measures. Among HNs, lower job satisfaction was related to a predominately supportive unit culture.

The results suggested that the culture concept can be applied in investigating and addressing RN job satisfaction and turnover; that HN leadership is influential in the type of unit culture; and that additional variables, perhaps at the organizational level, are operative in unit culture, job satisfaction, and turnover.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-03, Section: B, page: 1194.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, 1990.

School code: 0079.