Physician perceptions of leadership effectiveness of front-line managers in hospitals

The purpose of this research study was to better understand the factors that influence physician perceptions of leadership effectiveness in front-line managers. By contributing to trust and respect of management, physician perceptions of leadership effectiveness have been linked to physician engagement and subsequently to better organizational performance and outcomes. Using qualitative research methodology and face-to-face interviews, this study found that hospital physicians ascribed greater leadership effectiveness to managers who had good communication skills, managed conflict well and who were able to get things done in their patient care areas. While these behaviors are also mentioned in leadership competencies used as an organizational measure of leadership effectiveness, a significant portion of managers' formal role expectations included activities that were not valued by physicians. Using the adaptive leadership model suggested by complexity theory, these findings were used to propose specific enabling leadership behaviors that could help increase physician engagement and physician perceptions of manager effectiveness. This study is significant because developing greater physician engagement has been shown to be one of the most effective strategies for improving general financial performance, enhancing patient outcomes and increasing organizational success in today's highly competitive healthcare environment. These results offer an alternative to existing top-down efforts at increasing physician engagement and provide helpful information for organizations that seek to increase manager skills in building collaborative physician relationships. While the research was targeted on a specific hospital study site, these types of system pressures are affecting all hospitals in Canada and the United States and successful implementation would set the stage for broader adoption throughout the healthcare system.