Assessment of the Association of Leadership Behaviors of Supervising Physicians With Personal-Organizational Values Alignment Among Staff Physicians

Key Points Question Is physicians’ perception of alignment between personal and organizational values associated with their evaluation of the leadership behaviors of their immediate supervisors? Findings In this survey study of 1285 physicians and physician leaders, each 1-point increase in the aggregate leadership behavior score of physicians’ immediate supervisor was associated with a 0.65-point increase in the personal-organizational values alignment score for the physicians in their work unit. The aggregate leader behavior score of each leader as assessed by all physicians they lead explained 21.6% of the variation in personal-organizational values alignment scores between work units. Meaning The leadership behavior of each physician’s immediate supervisor was associated with the variation in physicians’ perception of values alignment with their organization overall.
This survey study examines whether there is an association between physicians’ perceptions of their immediate supervisor’s behaviors and their views on how their personal values align with those of their organization.
Importance Although misalignment of values between physicians and their organization is associated with increased risk of burnout, actionable organizational factors that contribute to perceived values alignment are poorly understood. Objective To evaluate the association between the leadership behaviors of immediate supervisors and physicians’ perception of personal-organizational values alignment. Design, Setting, and Participants This survey study of faculty physicians and physician leaders at Stanford University School of Medicine was conducted from April 1 to May 13, 2019. The survey included assessments of perceived personal-organizational values alignment, professional fulfillment, and burnout. Physicians also evaluated the leadership behaviors of their immediate supervisor (eg, division chief) using a standardized assessment. Data analysis was performed from May to December 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Association between mean leadership behavior score (range, 0-10) of each supervisor and the mean personal-organizational values alignment scores (range, 0-12) for the physicians in their work unit. Results Of 1924 physicians eligible to participate, 1285 (67%) returned surveys. Among these, 651 (51%) were women and 729 (57%) were aged 40 years or older. Among the 117 physician leaders evaluated, 66 (56%) had their leadership behavior independently evaluated by at least 5 physicians and were included in analyses. The mean (SD) personal-organizational values alignment score on the 0 to 12 scale was 6.19 (3.21). As the proportion of work effort devoted to clinical care increased, values alignment scores decreased. Personal-organizational values alignment scores demonstrated an inverse correlation with burnout (r = −0.39; P