Relationships between leadership style, span of control and outcomes.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 150
Description: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between leadership style, span of control and outcomes using a conceptual model linking concepts from three theories: transformational leadership theory, span of control, theory and contingency theory.The study findings provided support for the theoretical relationships between leadership style, span of control and outcomes. Results of the study supported the argument that transformational leadership matters---the higher the nurses rated their manager as having a transformational leadership style, the higher the nurses' job satisfaction and the lower the unit turnover rate. Transactional leadership style had a similar effect on nurses' job satisfaction as that of transformational leadership style although to a lesser extent. Management-by-exception leadership style, on the other hand, decreased nurses' job satisfaction.Recommendations for theory and research include: further testing of the proposed relationships in the study's theoretical model; and continued examination of how various organizational factors affect leaders, staff, work groups and organizations.The sample consisted of 717 nurses, 41 nurse managers and 51 patient care units drawn from four types of units (medical, surgical, obstetrics and day surgery) and seven hospitals. Hierarchical linear modelling and multiple regressions were used to test the study hypotheses.Recommendations for practice include designing and implementing management programs that focus on a transformational style of leadership and the development of guidelines regarding the number of staff a nurse manager can effectively supervise and lead.As well, the study findings provided support for the argument that span of control matters---the wider the span of control, the higher the unit turnover rate and the lower the unit labour stability rate. A very important and interesting finding is the significant moderating influence of span of control on the effects of leadership on nurses' job satisfaction. The interaction between span of control and leadership decreased the positive effects of transformational and transactional leadership styles on nurses' job satisfaction, and increased the negative effects of management-by-exception and laissez-faire leadership styles on nurses' job satisfaction. These findings demonstrated that no leadership style can overcome a wide span of control.
Notes: Adviser:  Diane Doran.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 65-05, Section: B, page: 2344.