Relational Leadership Model Perspective
women, compared to men, require robust social interactions and emotional support at their workplaces. Women feel the pressure of job stress differently and look for different types of support, emphasizing social interactions and emotional connections.
Intro
Today, we’re diving deep into a critical topic: leadership’s role in healthcare, especially in relation to the female workforce, and the transformative power of understanding and adapting to their needs. In the United States, the shortage of nurses has been a decade of issues, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic; this issue is vividly revealed.
Insight from Literature
Studies provide clear insights on areas within healthcare organizations that need improvement. For instance, Revirea et al. (2013) explored women’s emotional, intellectual, and social support demands related to work stress. Findings highlighted that women, compared to men, require robust social interactions and emotional support at their workplaces. Women feel the pressure of job stress differently and look for different types of support, emphasizing social interactions and emotional connections. The 2022 study by Adams and Webster further reinforces this sentiment. Women are not just seeking leadership; they’re seeking a specific kind of leadership – one that is emotion-oriented.
However, A study conducted by Mose in 2021 presents a striking contrast: women hold 76% of the total healthcare workforce in the United States; however, females occupy a mere 14% of top executive roles of the whole healthcare organization.
So, what does this mean for healthcare organizations? And what does this disparity imply for healthcare organizations? It implies a potential mismatch between the predominant gender in the workforce and the predominant gender in leadership. This is a significant disconnect: while most of the workforce is female, decision-making largely remains in male hands.
A study from Sweden in 2013 added another layer to this discourse. Nurses displayed a clear preference for smaller hospitals. One might assume it’s about patient volume or infrastructure, but it’s deeper: it’s about how they are treated, led, and supported.
There is another study which is conducted in 2022 by Adams and Webster. Female workers respond positively to emotion-oriented management styles. Yet, the prevailing management systems in hospitals today are performance-oriented, which might not resonate with a significant proportion of the healthcare workforce.
Application
So, how do we apply to our healthcare organization with these findings as leaders?
Open Communication: More than just open-door policies, this means active listening, validating concerns, and fostering dialogue. Encouraging an environment where employees freely share concerns.
Flexible Scheduling: Recognizing that many female workers juggle multiple roles – as professionals, caregivers, parents, and more – and adjusting accordingly.
Empowerment Programs: It’s not just about job progression but ensuring their voice, skills, and perspectives shape the organization. Ensuring every employee feels they have a pathway for growth.
Holistic Life Management: Beyond work-life balance, it’s about supporting their entire spectrum of roles and responsibilities.
Team Building: Creating an environment where mutual respect and support are foundational.
Counseling Services: Emotional well-being is pivotal. Addressing emotional challenges, especially in healthcare, where intense interactions are essential.
Adapting Initiatives for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: As leaders, how do we create environments that foster diversity, equity, and inclusion? By understanding and valuing the needs of our majority-female workforce.
Leadership in Action
From a leadership perspective, the key is not just understanding but action. Leaders must organize, motivate, and guide teams toward these changes. It’s about creating an inclusive culture, not just making another policy. Therefore, understanding these factors isn’t enough. As leaders, our responsibility is to translate this understanding into tangible action, ensuring that our strategies resonate with the needs and aspirations of our workforce. This means not only organizing and guiding our teams towards these objectives but also genuinely championing and embodying these values.
Reference
Mose J. N. (2021). Representation of Women in Top Executive Positions in General Medical-Surgical Hospitals in the United States. Women’s health reports (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 2(1), 124–132. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2020.0111
Rivera-Torres, P., Araque-Padilla, R. A., & Montero-Simó, M. J. (2013). Job stress across gender: the importance of emotional and intellectual demands and social support in women. International journal of environmental research and public health, 10(1), 375–389. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10010375
Adams, G.A. and Webster, J.R. (2022), “Relating supervisor interpersonal emotion management- and task-oriented leadership to adaptive performance: a moderated-mediation model incorporating trust and gender”, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. 41 No. 4, pp. 549-567. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-07-2021-0174
Lindqvist, R., Smeds Alenius, L., Griffiths, P., Runesdotter, S., & Tishelman, C. (2013). Structural Characteristics of Hospitals and Nurse-Reported Care Quality, Work Environment, Burnout, and Leaving Intentions. Journal of Nursing Management. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12123