APPLICATION OF FIEDLER'S CONTINGENCY MODEL OF LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS TO NURSING TEAM LEADERS (LEADERSHIP).
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 139
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Industrial.
Description: This study was developed to determine whether the Fiedler Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness is valid when applied to a sample of nursing team leaders. The Contingency Model of Leadership was selected for testing because it not only addresses leadership style and situational variables but also offers predictions about leadership effectiveness which could be helpful in selecting and training team leaders.

A survey design was used in the study. A random sample of 140 nursing team leaders from the three New York City Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers completed the Least Preferred Co-worker Scale, a set of situational control scales and a demographic data form. Their immediate supervisors completed the Team Effectiveness Profile to assess the leadership effectiveness of the team leader in influencing team activities toward goal setting and goal achievement.

The hypotheses of the model were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. None of the three hypotheses of the Contingency Model of Leadership Effectiveness were supported in this study. The leadership style of the team leaders was found to be almost equally split between a task-oriented and a relationship-oriented approach. The majority of the sample reported having either moderate or high situational control in their work settings. The leadership effectiveness scores revealed that most team leaders were evaluated as being effective or highly effective in their team leadership role.

Team leader demographic data had statistically few significant relationships with leadership style, situational control, and leadership effectiveness. The highest level of nursing education was found to have a significant effect on leadership style. The first nursing education was found to have a significant effect on leadership effectiveness. Also of interest was the finding that the location of the first nursing program had a significant effect on leadership style.

Recommendations for future research included: a need to develop a measure of leadership effectiveness which is better tailored to the nursing team leadership situation, further investigation into the validity of the Least Preferred Co-worker Scale as a measure of team leadership style, replication with a larger Veterans Administration survey representation, and contrasting data from private sector hospitals.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-11, Section: B, page: 5762.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1991.

School code: 0055.