Transformational leadership, knowledge sharing and reflection, and work teams' performance: A structural equation modelling analysis.

Abstract

The aim was to determine whether there are relationships among transformational leadership, safe team climate, knowledge sharing and reflection, and team performance in nursing and social work teams. Based on organisational learning theory, we hypothesized that transformational leadership could create a safe team climate that fosters knowledge sharing and reflection in teams and thus influences the performance of teams. We conducted a cross-sectional study using questionnaires and validated scales to measure transformational leadership, safe team climate, knowledge sharing and reflection, and performance. The sample consisted of 32 teams (N=32 teams, n=183 team members). We conducted structural equation modelling. The results indicate that reflection positively relates with team performance, transformational leadership has a direct positive relationship with safe team climate, and safe team climate has positive relationships with knowledge sharing and reflection. Our findings regarding transformational leadership's positive influence on teams in nursing and social work fill an important gap in the literature. The study's limitations are the use of self-reports and a small sample size. Our results indicate that transformational leadership can foster a safe climate in work teams and hereby team learning and performance.