HEAD NURSE LEADER BEHAVIOR AND EMPLOYEE JOB SATISFACTION, ABSENTEEISM AND TURNOVER IN VETERANS ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTERS.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 113
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This hypothesis testing study addresses the problems of ineffective leadership behavior and high absenteeism and turnover rates among nursing personnel. Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory provided the framework supporting the research by considering the relationship between leaders and followers in various situations in selected Veterans Administration Medical Centers.

The significance of the study lies in an attempt not solely to identify the style of the leader, but to determine the impact of the effectiveness of the perceived style on employee job satisfaction, absenteeism and turnover. Unlike other leadership studies which focus on the leader, this study focuses on followers' perceptions of leaders in various situations.

The sample consisted of 300 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants selected from two Veterans Administration Medical Centers on the east coast. Each person received a survey packet consisting of three sections: demographic questions, Leadership Effectiveness and Adaptability Description Questionnaire (LEAD/OTHER), and two independent subscales of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. One hundred seventy respondents (56%) returned the survey packets by mail in pre-addressed stamped envelopes.

Pearson Product Moment Coefficients, Point Biserial r or the Kendall Tau test for correlation were performed on six general hypotheses using a significance level of P $<$.05. Additional comparative analyses between Hospital 1 and Hospital 2 were employed to further elucidate findings and provide more meaningful implications and recommendations for future research.

Results of the study indicate that employees are most satisfied with a high task/high relationship leadership style. Three general hypotheses suggesting a positive correlation between satisfaction with supervisor and overall job satisfaction, effectiveness of the leader and style of the leader were supported. Two hypotheses suggesting a negative correlation between employee satisfaction with supervision and absenteeism and turnover were not supported. These results are discrepant with previous research findings and deserve further exploration. The hypothesis suggesting a positive correlation between satisfaction with supervision and perceived effectiveness was not supported.

Recommendations for future research include: a clearer definition of effectiveness, larger VA survey representation, contrasting data from private sector hospitals, and an improved method for collection of absenteeism data.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: B, page: 1937.

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

School code: 0055.