Influence of Leadership Styles on Performance of County Referral Hospitals in Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2519Abstract
This study examined the influence of leadership styles on the performance of county referral hospitals in Kenya, focusing on transformational, servant, and adaptive leadership approaches. County referral hospitals, which serve as the highest level of healthcare facilities under devolved governance, face critical challenges in service delivery, resource management, and workforce coordination. Leadership style is increasingly recognized as a central factor in addressing these challenges and improving institutional performance. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design, targeting 51 county referral hospitals across 47 counties. Data were collected from 153 hospital administrators, human resource managers, and finance officers using structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS, with regression models employed to examine the strength of association between leadership styles and five key dimensions of hospital performance: patient outcomes, quality of care, accessibility, equity in service provision, and financial performance. Results indicated that leadership styles significantly influenced hospital performance, with transformational leadership exhibiting the strongest positive effect (β = 0.562, p < 0.05), followed by servant leadership (β = 0.228, p = 0.016), and adaptive leadership (β = 0.124, p = 0.001). These findings underscore the need for targeted leadership development programs that cultivate inclusive, innovative, and responsive leadership within county health systems. The study recommends that the Ministry of Health and County Governments invest in leadership capacity building as a strategic intervention for enhancing service delivery and organizational resilience in public hospitals. Strengthening leadership is essential to achieving equitable, efficient, and sustainable healthcare across Kenya's devolved health sector.
Keywords: Leadership Styles, County Referral Hospitals
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