The Influence of Leadership Behaviours on Employees' Job Satisfaction in the Health Training Institutions in the Upper West Region-Ghana

Abstract

Effective leadership and employees’ job satisfaction are fundamental to the success of educational institutions. Adopting ideal leadership behaviour by the Nurse Leaders can have a positive influence on employees’ job satisfaction and institutional outcomes. It is widely accepted that employees’ who are satisfied with their jobs have a tendency of being more innovative, creative, motivated and committed, focusing on tasks that are beneficiary to the organization as compared to employees’ that are dissatisfied (Gutierrez, Candela, & Carver, 2012). Using the Path-goal leadership theory as the organizing framework the study to explored the leadership behaviours of Nurse Leaders and the influence of these behaviours on employees’ job satisfaction at the seven Health Training Institutions (HTIs) in the Upper West Region-Ghana. Quantitative cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 179 respondents. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies central tendencies and percentages were used to describe leadership behaviours and job satisfaction. Whereas inferential statistics such as correlation, linear multiple regression and moderation to predict relationship between the study variables. Nurse Leaders in the HTIs practised all the five leadership behaviours (directive, supportive, participative, achievement- oriented and laissez-fair) but are more inclined to the directive (autocratic) leadership behaviour. The study established a significant positive but moderate correlation between directive, participative and achievement-oriented leadership behaviours and employees’ job satisfaction, while supportive leadership shows a strong positive significant correlation with employees’ job satisfaction, but laissez-faire had no correlation with employees’ job satisfaction. There is a significant positive correlation (r = 0.465, p <0.001) between job characteristics and employees’ job satisfaction. Result indicates gender, higher educational qualification and place of work or institution predicted the outcome variable (job satisfaction), whereas, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented leadership behaviours also predicted job satisfaction. The study variables explained 40.9% of the variance in employees’ job satisfaction. Result shows job characteristics moderated the relationship between leadership behaviours (directive, participative, achievement-oriented and laissez-faire) on job satisfaction. Finally, years of experience under supportive leadership behaviour was significant. The study recommends that Nurse Leaders should be conversant with the varied leadership behaviours and adopt the most ideal for the effectiveness of the HTIs in the Upper West Region-Ghana.