LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR, THE USE OF POWER, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NURSE EXECUTIVE IN INSTITUTIONAL LONG TERM CARE.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 296
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The leadership behavior, use of power, and effectiveness of sixteen directors of nursing (DONs) in the institutional long term care setting is described. An instrument developed by the investigator and based on the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaires (LBDQ) and five bases of power (French & Raven, 1959) was determined to be reliable and valid.

Leadership behavior is described on two dimensions, Consideration and Initiation of structure. These dimensions refer to a human relations orientation and a task-oriented, patterned interactions style of leadership, respectively. The responses of the 16 DONs and a total of 160 of their RN and LPN staff indicated their perception of the DONs' 'real' leadership behavior and expectations of 'ideal' leadership behavior. Effectiveness of the leadership and certain characteristics of the DON were described, using instruments developed for those purposes.

Results indicated that DONs' activities reflecting the Considerate dimension of leadership behavior were dominant in the real and ideal context. The most effective DONs were high-moderate Considerate and high-moderate Initiation of structure. Expert, referent, and legitimate power were the dominant power bases.

No relationships were found to explain the DONs' leadership behavior, power, or effectiveness with regard to their basic and graduate nursing education, years as a registered nurse, years as a DON, facility bed size, professional organization membership, and other characteristics of the DON and facility.

Recommendations for future research include continued testing and modification of the instrument; comparison with acute care nursing directors; the relationship of leadership behavior to decentralized nursing organizations and nursing models, etc. Approximately 25 studies are suggested ranging from instrument development to leadership theory development.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: B, page: 1940.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1987.

School code: 0055.