Primal leadership:Leaders and their 360 degree review –A brief study

Abstract

There is a dearth of published research on leadership within the context healthcare field which makes this study particularly timely. Although there is extensive research on leadership, there still exists an acute need for leadership research based on follower perspectives (Lindebaum& Cartwright, 2010; Notgrass, 2010). This study addresses this gap by investigating both leader self-perceptions and follower-perceptions of their leaders. Phase 1 focuses on the combination of leader self-perceptions and follower-perceptions of their leaders. In Phase 1, this study considers both leader and follower perspectives and identifies leaders who overestimate, underestimate or are in-agreement with followers, in evaluating their own Leadership capabilities. Based on this, the leaders are classified into Average 4 and Average 5 in 360 degree leadership scores of the leaders. Similar differences across the self-other-agreement categories of the leaders are predicted in terms of the linkage between EI and Transformational Leadership as perceived by the followers. The ontology of this research is realist and the epistemology is positivist. Phase 1, target population was identified as the direct reports of phase 1 participants. In this we identified 3 to 4 reporting and peer staff for participation. In phase 2, reporting staff completed rater-forms of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 360 degree questionnaires. A number of qualitative informal interviews have been conducted with leaders to obtain contextual data regarding the nature of the changes, impacting upon the lives of healthcare staff. Results show Correlations in 360 degree average 5 for transformational, transactional, extra-effort, satisfaction and effectiveness subscales in doctors were all statistically significant with p < .05. Correlations among the Lassiez faire leadership subscales in doctors and paramedical were not significant r=(4.08 vs 3.63) p=0.274 in doctors and r=(4.46 vs 3.57) p=0.104 in paramedical and in Nurse there is no difference in Satisfaction score between self and average 360 degree self r =(3.68 vs 3.81 ) p=0.367.