Transformational leadership, quality of work life, and organizational outcomes in healthcare
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33024/minh.v9i6.1567
Healthcare Management Organizational Outcomes Physician Performance Quality of Work Life Transformational Leadership
Abstract
Background: Physicians’ performance is a fundamental determinant of healthcare quality, patient safety, and organizational effectiveness. Increasing workloads, workforce shortages, occupational stress, and organizational challenges have heightened the need for effective strategies to improve physician performance. Quality of Work Life (QWL) and transformational leadership are widely recognized as important organizational factors associated with employee well-being, job satisfaction, and performance in healthcare settings.
Purpose: To synthesize the existing evidence on the relationships among Quality of Work Life, transformational leadership, physician performance, and organizational outcomes, with particular attention to the influence of cultural context, gender, and communication.
Method: A literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines. Relevant articles published between 2002 and 2025 were identified through PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Studies examining QWL, transformational leadership, physician performance, or organizational outcomes in healthcare settings were considered eligible. Seventeen studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed using a narrative synthesis approach.
Results: The findings indicated that higher QWL was consistently associated with better physician performance, greater job satisfaction, lower burnout, and improved healthcare service quality. Transformational leadership was positively associated with employee engagement, organizational commitment, and organizational effectiveness, whereas laissez-faire leadership was generally associated with less favorable organizational outcomes. Cultural context, gender, and communication also emerged as important factors influencing the relationships between leadership, QWL, and organizational performance.
Conclusion: Integrating QWL initiatives with transformational leadership practices may represent an effective organizational strategy for improving physician performance and healthcare outcomes. Healthcare organizations should prioritize supportive work environments, equitable compensation, employee participation, effective communication, and leadership development while considering cultural and organizational contexts to promote sustainable organizational performance.
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