Situational Leadership and Performance of Public Health Facility Boards in Kenya: The Role of Organizational Culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t7096Abstract
Leadership within public health facility governance bodies remains an under-researched area in Africa, despite its importance in shaping service delivery outcomes. This paper critically reviews the applicability of situational leadership to the performance of public health facility boards and committees in Kenya’s devolved health system. Using a narrative-critical review methodology, the paper synthesizes conceptual, theoretical, and empirical literature on situational leadership, health facility governance, organizational culture, and board performance. The review identifies three key gaps: limited conceptual clarity on board-level leadership styles, inadequate Kenya-specific empirical evidence, and an overreliance on quantitative studies that offer limited explanation of leadership processes. In response, the paper proposes an integrated conceptual model linking situational leadership styles to board and committee performance through team capability, with organizational culture serving as a moderating factor. The review concludes that situational leadership is highly relevant to public health facility governance because it allows board leaders to adapt their style to the capability, motivation, and task demands of governance teams. The paper contributes to leadership and health governance scholarship by offering a context-sensitive framework for future empirical research, leadership development, and policy improvement in Kenya’s public health sector.
Keywords: situational leadership, public health facility governance bodies, organizational performance, organizational culture, devolution, Kenya, governance, team capability
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