Public Administration Middle Management in the Health Sector – extra management/administration training and leadership skills

Abstract

This study features the relationship between extra training in management and/or administration and leadership skills in a representative sample of the national plan for middle management working in public administration in the health sector. The training needs of these leaders were identified in the past, so the intention now is to identify if they are trained in management/administration, if there are differences in how leadership skills are gained by those who have had training and those who have not. To gauge if management/administration training will bring advantages to middle management in health because they can condition the culture and focus of organisational leadership through their leadership skills. A theoretical model was deduced, using the structural equation modelling methodology and non-parametric and parametric tests. It was observed that most middle management staff in the health area do not have training in management/administration and that leadership skills are, in decreasing order: mentor, director, facilitator, innovator, coordinator, monitor, producer and broker, resulting in a leadership culture of support, objectives, rules and innovation. The leadership focus is on flexibility and internal and external control. However, those who have received training have higher levels of leadership skills, promoting the culture of organisational leadership in the sense of innovation, objectives and rules and the leadership focus on flexibility, for the internal and external environment.