Leadership Styles and Professional Profiles in Health Management Students: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71399/r60ff241Keywords:
leadership, leadership styles, health management, professional profile, organizational contextAbstract
Leadership is a crucial factor for the effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare organizations, influencing the quality of care and team performance. This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between sociodemographic and professional variables and the perception of leadership styles among graduate students in Health Unit Management at a Portuguese institution. Thirty-nine students participated, responding to a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Quinn Leadership Scale – Contrasting Values Model (CVF).
The results indicated homogeneity in leadership perceptions, with a predominance of appreciation for the Producer, Director, and Coordinator styles, especially among professionals working in a hospital setting. No statistically significant differences were found related to gender, age, professional experience, or category, with the type of institution being the only variable with a relevant impact.
These data highlight the determining role of the organizational context in shaping perceptions of leadership and suggest the need to adapt training programs to institutional specificities. It is also recommended to develop adaptive and metacognitive skills in academic training, preparing managers for the diverse challenges in hospital and community contexts within the public, private, and social sectors.
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