Search

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore rapid role shifts at work and to describe the factors that facilitate or inhibit such role shifts, and how these factors affect the employee. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted with 12 participants from four public sector organizations. The participants systematically documented their work role shifts over the course of three days. Based on these data, they were interviewed about their shifts in work roles. All data were analyzed thematically. Findings Rapid role shifts do not work without extensive mental preparation and commitment. The role changes were perceived as stimulating if there was clarity about purpose, context and the significance of one’s own role, and if there was time both to switch between different roles and to reflect. Research limitations/implications This study was only performed in public sector organizations, and with a relatively small sample of interviewees. To generalize the results a more comprehensive collection of data would be required, including independence between researchers and subjects. Practical implications Adequate work structures, well-thought-out plans, time set aside for adjustment and reflection, and, not least, well-functioning information technologies are essential to teamwork commitment and satisfaction. As occasional teams, virtual teams and remote work become more common in the future, attention must be paid to rapid work role shifts by governments, policymakers and employers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic study of the challenges involved in rapid shifts in work roles.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible factors related to transfer of knowledge and skills from two leadership development courses to the work environment and its maintenance for two years post training. Design/methodology/approach A total of 12 leaders in two different types of courses were interviewed at least two years after their participation. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns within the data that explained if, how and why these leaders used this knowledge and these skills in their leadership practice. Findings The most influential themes identified were personalized feedback in the courses, increased confidence in leadership roles after the courses, the opportunity to use new knowledge and skills at work, employee feedback, management facilitation and continual reflection. Practical implications Leadership development programs should include personalized feedback and reinforce continual reflection on the feedback and course content. The short-term goal of such programs should be to increase leaders’ confidence in their leadership role. The employer must offer opportunities for continual reflection, facilitate dialogue with employees, peers or superiors for long-term maintenance of skills and knowledge. Originality/value Outcome studies of leadership development programs are scarce and long-term follow-up of transfer and maintenance of knowledge, as this one, even more unusual.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of an experiential leader development course titled understanding group-and-leader (UGL). Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 61 course participants (the managers) and 318 subordinate raters. The development leadership questionnaire (DLQ) was used to measure the results of the course. The measurements were made on three occasions: shortly before the course, one month after the course and six months after the course. Findings The managers’ self-evaluations did not change significantly after the course. However, the subordinate raters’ evaluations of their managers indicated a positive trend in the scales of developmental leadership and conventional-positive leadership one month and six months after the course. Research limitations/implications The study was based on a comparatively small sample with a number of drop-outs. The study lacked a control condition. Practical implications From an organizational point of view, it could be argued that it is justifiable to send managers to such a course, as there is a good chance for an improvement in their leadership style as rated by subordinates. Social implications The integration of group processes and leadership behavior in the context of experiential learning seems to be a fruitful path to leader development. Originality/value Longitudinal studies on the results of experiential learning for managers are sparse. This is the first quantitative evaluation of a course that more than 80,000 individuals have taken.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of leadership programmes on leaders and co-workers, as well as which mechanisms are involved in the process. Design/methodology/approach An analysis was done into 431 free-text answers to questionnaires given to 120 participants in two different leadership programmes and their co-workers six months after their participation, using a grounded theory inspired approach. Findings The result is a model, linking internal psychological and external behavioural aspects, with the central outcome that leaders gained more confidence in their leadership role through theoretical models learned, and reflection. Research limitations/implications The course participants as well as the co-workers seemed to experience a positive leadership development indicating a value of participating in the courses. Practical implications Confidence in leadership role seems important for having positive outcomes of leadership. Although this needs further research, it is something organisations should consider when working with leadership questions. Social implications The co-workers perceived their leaders to be calmer, more open for discussions, and willing both to give and receive feedback post training. There appears to be an increase in trust both in the leader and reciprocally from the leader in the co-workers. Originality/value Until now there has not been any systematic research into the effects on participants and co-workers following the programmes, despite the fact that over 100,000 have participated in the courses.

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse leadership challenges in the organisation of strategic research centres, focusing on the relationship between organisation and the level of institutionalisation. Four main themes of leadership challenges were identified: (1) the changing university context, including relationships with top management and faculties; (2) research strategy, considering decisions about diversity or a focused perspective; (3) management, dealing with prioritising administrative work; (4) affiliation, the sense of belonging to a strategic research centre, comprising issues of leadership, trust, attitude towards recruitment and succession. We concluded that leadership and effective administration are vital for research collaboration, not only within small research groups as been shown in other studies, but also within large groups in university-based research centres.

Unit managers and employees in schools, social services, and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) were asked to describe their views on children's and adolescents' psychosocial needs when collaboration was required. A descriptive case study design was employed and data were gathered from 23 professionals in six focus groups. The data were analysed by the use of an inductive content approach. Disparities were identified that were interpreted as different approaches to children's needs, which we designated individual (CAMHS), contextual (social services), and educational (schools) approaches. These were perceived as emerging from the professional representations of children's needs that were created within each working group. The organisational affiliation seemed however to have a stronger influence than professional education, regarding the view of children's needs. We suggest that it would be an advantage for professionals to be able to participate in dialogue groups to discuss the meaning of their organisational and professional affiliations, and how this affects their views. Rather than formal knowledge, such dialogues should contain more essential knowledge related to the professionals' approaches to children's needs and to the diversities in the way they think and work in a "give-and-take" process. This might influence their way of thinking and working with children and adolescents, and strengthen their understanding of each other's work.

Demands on academic leadership are increasing, which raises the need for leadership training. This article describes development and implementation of a group training intervention in academic leadership at a departmental level. Little systematic research has addressed the question of what forms of leadership training are associated with effectiveness of academic leadership teams. This study examined a comprehensive methodological approach including three different data collection methods. The content analysis of the intervention resulted in identification of vital components that are associated with team effectiveness. Here, the findings are considered in relation to the notion of functional role-taking, and their general implications are explored in relation to the possibility of systematically developing academic leadership.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between leadership profiles and differences in managers’ own levels of work stress symptoms and perceptions of work stressors causing stress. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data were used. Healthcare managers (n = 188) rated three dimensions of their leadership behavior and levels of work stressors and stress. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to identify leadership profiles based on leadership behaviors. Differences in stress-related outcomes between profiles were assessed using one-way analysis of variance. Findings Four distinct clusters of leadership profiles were found. They discriminated in perception of work stressors and stress: the profile distinguished by the lowest mean in all behavior dimensions, exhibited a pattern with significantly more negative ratings compared to the other profiles. Practical implications This paper proposes that leadership profile is an individual factor involved in the stress process, including work stressors and stress, which may inform targeted health promoting interventions for healthcare managers. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the relationship between leadership profiles and work stressors and stress in healthcare managers.

Purpose – This paper aims to explore if and how employees in a healthcare organisation perceive changes in their managers’ leadership behaviour over time. Design/methodology/approach – An interview study was conducted with employees whose managers had participated in a two-year leadership development programme offered by their employer, Healthcare Provision Stockholm County. Qualitative content analysis was applied, and the interview discussions focused on areas in which the majority of the informants perceived that a change had occurred over time and their answers were relatively consistent. Findings – The majority of employees did discern changes in their managers’ leadership over time, and, with very few exceptions, these changes were described as improvements. Practical implications – The knowledge that employees perceived changes in their managers’ leadership supports investments in leadership development through courses, programmes or other initiatives. Originality/value – The present findings contribute to a deeper empirical understanding of leadership as it is practised over time in everyday contexts among employees in healthcare organisations.

Background Teamwork—that is, collaboration and communication—is an important factor for safe healthcare, but professions perceive the quality of teamwork differently. Objective To examine the relationship between simulation-based team training (SBTT) and different professions’ self-efficacy, experienced quality of collaboration and communication, perceptions of teamwork and safety, together with staff turnover. Methods All staff (n=151; physicians, nurses and nurse assistants) in an intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital were systematically trained over 2 years. Data on individual self-efficacy were measured using the self-efficacy questionnaire; the experienced quality of collaboration and communication, teamwork climate, safety climate and perception of working conditions were sampled using the ICU version of the safety attitudes questionnaire (SAQ). Staff turnover and sick leave was measured using the hospital's staff administration system for the intervention ICU and a control ICU in the same hospital. Results The perception of safety differed between professions before training. Nurses’ and physicians’ mean self-efficacy scores improved, and nurse assistants’ perceived quality of collaboration and communication with physician specialists improved after training. Nurse assistants’ perception of the SAQ factors teamwork climate, safety climate and working conditions were more positive after the project as well as nurses’ perception of safety climate. The number of nurses quitting their job and nurse assistants’ time on sick leave was reduced in comparison to the control ICU during the study period. Limitations Results for SAQ factors must be interpreted with caution given that Cronbach's α and inter-correlations for the SAQ factors showed lower values than benchmarking data. Conclusions All team members benefited from the SBTT in an authentic composed team, but this was expressed differently for the respective professions.

PurposeThis study aims to describe implementation of simulator‐based medical team training and the effect of this programme on inter‐professional working in an intensive care unit (ICU).Design/methodology/approachOver a period of two years, 90 percent (n=152) of the staff of the general ICU at Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden, received inter‐professional team training in a fully equipped patient room in their own workplace. A case study method was used to describe and explain the planning, formation, and results of the training programme.FindingsIn interviews, the participants reported that the training had increased their awareness of the importance of effective communication for patient safety. The intervention had even had an indirect impact by creating a need to talk, not only about how to communicate efficaciously, but also concerning difficult care situations in general. This, in turn, had led to regular reflection meetings for nurses held three times a week. Examples of better communication in acute situations were also reported. However, the findings indicate that the observed improvements will not last, unless organisational features such as staffing rotas and scheduling of rounds and meetings can be changed to enable use of the learned behaviours in everyday work. Other threats to sustainability include shortage of staff, overtime for staff, demands for hospital beds, budget cuts, and poor staff communication due to separate meetings for nurses and physicians.Originality/valueThe present results broaden our understanding of how to create and sustain an organizational system that supports medical team training.

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to assess two different leader development interventions by comparing their effects on leadership behaviour and evaluating their combined impact after two years, from the viewpoints of both the participating managers and external raters. Design/methodology/approach The study was a longitudinal randomised controlled trial with a cross-over design. Health care managers (n = 177) were first randomised to either of two 10-month interventions and a year later were switched to the other intervention. Leadership behaviour was rated at pre-test and 12 and 24 months by participating managers and their superiors, colleagues and subordinates using a 360-degree instrument. Analysis of variance and multilevel regression analysis was performed. Findings No difference in effect on leadership behaviour was found between the two interventions. The evaluation of the combined effect of the interventions on leadership behaviour showed inconsistent (i.e. both increased and decreased) ratings by the various rater sources. Practical implications This study provides some evidence that participation in leadership development programmes can improve managers’ leadership behaviours, but the results also highlight the interpretive challenges connected with using a 360-degree instrument to evaluate such development. Originality/value The longitudinal randomised controlled design and the large sample comprising both managers and external raters make this study unusually rigorous in the field of leadership development evaluations.

The aim was to evaluate effects of leadership courses based on the developmental leadership model at the leadership behavioral level. A longitudinal design was employed with assessments before, one and six months after the leadership courses. The sample consisted of 59 leaders who made self-ratings and were rated by at least three subordinates on each occasion. Leadership behaviors were measured with the Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ). A limited increase of favorable leadership behaviors and a significant reduction of unfavorable leadership behaviors were found, particularly according to the subordinates' ratings. A cluster analysis yielded three meaningful leader profiles and showed that this pattern was found in all three profiles, irrespective of how favorably they were rated before the onset of the intervention.

Professionals in healthcare, social services, and schools often collaborate when addressing children and adolescents with complex psychosocial needs. Based on theory of social representations, we investigated how professionals in the mentioned organizations perceived each other through their experiences of collaboration. Twenty-nine unit managers and 35 staff members were interviewed in 12 focus groups, and the data collected were subjected to content analysis. Most social representations indicated complex and problematic interprofessional collaboration, although some were positive in nature. We also found social representations regarding ignorance of each other's organizations, distrust, unavailability, and uncommunicativeness. Conceptions of the other party's way of thinking appeared to include adverse attitudes and low expectations from the other side. Concurrently, there was mutual understanding of the limited room to maneuver and heavy workloads. The professionals' perceptions reflected frustration and ambivalence, and also indicated that dialogue was prevented by established boundaries and low expectations. We conclude that arenas are needed for productive dialogue and exchange of relevant knowledge in such collaborative systems, and that management should enable staff to collaborate based on the existing boundaries.

Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to gain a deeper understanding of F-LNMs’ leadership. Another aim was to examine possible differences in self-rated health between F-LNMs and registered nurses (RNs) on various psychosocial factors. Method: Study I and III are single case studies. Study I concerns a first-line nurse manager working in a unit for care of older people. Data collection comprised of two interviews, observations, and documents. A hermeneutic approach was used for the analysis. Study II was carried out in three units at three Swedish hospitals. Three F-LNMs and 14 RNs participated. Interviews were used to collect data. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Study III was conducted at a palliative care unit. Data were collected using three separate instruments: a questionnaire, group interviews with nurses and leaders, and documents. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the material. Study IV was conducted at a university hospital. Seventy-eight F-LNMs and their 1,806 subordinated RNs participated in the study. Data were collected using a web-based questionnaire (Web-QPS) to assess the participant’s psychosocial work environment and their self-rated health. Result: The main finding in study I was that the F-LNM goal-profile consisted of three goals - the nurse goal, the administrator goal and the leadership goal. The administrator and leadership goal were in accordance to her job description, while the nurse goal was interpreted as a personally chosen and prioritised goal. In study II the result was illustrated in one main theme referred to as between being and doing. The RNs and F-LNMs described what it was to be a good professional (being), how they were engaged in creating a good work climate (doing) and personal outcomes of this project (gaining). In study III the result showed that the most important component at the palliative care unit was to accomplish the vision of good palliative care. Congruence in leadership, mature group functioning, adequate organisational structures and resources, and comprehensive and shared meaningfulness were all identified as essential components for fulfilling the vision. In study IV both F-LNMs and RNs found their work in general important, interesting and meaningful and reported self-rated health as good. However, about 10-15% shoved signs of being at risk for stress related ill health. The results showed statistically significant differences in the distribution between the F-LNMs and the RNs on three indices: job control, job demand and managerial support in a direction which would be favorable to the F-LNMs. Conclusion: Nurses and F-LNMs seem to have high ideals and expectations of giving good care. The value- system of nursing, i.e. providing the best care for each patient, seems to be a point of departure for the F-LNMs leadership. Key factors for obtaining this are sufficient resources and adequate structures as well as good climate in the teams. One can therefore assume that the F-LNMs should be based on creating a healthy and sustainable work environment that promotes the quality of care and employee well-being. This is obtained by promoting development of ethical competence of the F-LNMs themselves as well as the employees. F-LNMs’ work conditions have a significant impact on how they can support and promote such a development.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to describe the perceptions of registered nurses (RNs), enrolled nurses (ENs), and leaders (i.e. the first‐line nurse manager, F‐LNM and the substitute F‐LNM) as to what characterises an excellent work environment in a palliative care unit and the involvement of leadership in that environment.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using two separate instruments: a questionnaire, group interviews with nurses and leaders, and documents at a palliative care unit. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the material.FindingsAccording to the participants, the most important component at the palliative care unit was to accomplish the vision of good palliative care. Congruence in leadership, mature group functioning, adequate organisational structures and resources, and comprehensive and shared meaningfulness were all identified as essential components for fulfilling the vision.Originality/valueThis study indicates that fulfilling the vision of good palliative care may function as a buffer against stress in such a workplace

Aims and objectives. The aim of this study was to describe first-line nurse managers’ (F-LNMs) and subordinate registered nurses’ (RNs) conceptions and experiences of their routine work and how lea ...

Patients perspective of change processes in affect-focused body psychotherapy for generalized anxiety disorder