Distributed leadership and nurses’ job satisfaction: a survey
Roberta Sammut, Benjamin Briffa, Elizabeth Curtis
Abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between perceived distributed leadership and job satisfaction among nurses. Leadership is central to improving quality care. Reports following investigations of poor care standards, identified inadequate leadership as a contributory factor and called for a new kind of leadership. One alternative is distributed leadership. Evidence suggests associations between leadership and job satisfaction but, there is a paucity of research examining associations between distributed leadership and job satisfaction: the purpose of this study was to address this gap. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: 176) was achieved. Data were analysed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and multiple regression. Ethical approval was obtained from relevant committees/individuals. FINDINGS: Results indicated a moderate application of perceived distributed leadership and application of all components of distributed leadership could be improved. Nurses were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their jobs. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between distributed leadership and job satisfaction. Multiple regression showed that commitment and participative decision-making were major predictors of job satisfaction while supervision by managers had a negative effect. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Improving distributed leadership is a priority in the nursing profession. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to show that distributed leadership has a positive effect on job satisfaction among nurses. Supervision, a constituent of distributed leadership, was associated with reduced job satisfaction, therefore reducing this is paramount.