The Role of Personal Knowledge Management on the Effects of Self-Leadership to Transformational Leadership: A Study on the Public Healthcare Managers

Abstract

In the present era called the information age, also known as the digital age, healthcare managers have to deal with many challenges besides trying to adapt to the rapidly changing micro and macro-environment affected by the pandemic. Currently, digitalization and hybrid work ecosystem are on the rise requiring healthcare managers to effectively use self knowledge management tools to lead themselves and be able to lead their staff members by inspiring, encouraging and motivating them transforming their staff members creating value for all. However, there is insufficient research on the relationship of leadership styles and personal knowledge management. The aim of this study is to determine the mediating role of personal knowledge management in the effect of self-leadership on transformational leadership. The study was carried out with scales of self-leadership, transformational leadership and personal knowledge management. Scales were validated by factor analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships. The research universe consisted of the public healthcare managers working in Istanbul. It was found that the validity and the reliability of the research scales were high. According to the research findings; the self-leadership and transformational leadership perceptions of healthcare managers working in public institutions are high. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of a partial mediation effect of personal knowledge management on the positive effect of self-leadership on transformational leadership.