Management and Leadership in Healthcare: Expectations, Conditions, Skills, and Reflections in a Leadership Program

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Leadership Development Program: An established leadership development program provided annually by a Swedish healthcare region for first- and second-line managers. The program includes planned learning activities, reflection, and interaction intended to support participants in developing their management and leadership practice. The healthcare organization selects participants and provides the program independently of the research study. The research team does not assign participants to the program or determine its content or delivery.

Study summary

This study follows first- and second-line healthcare managers who take part in an established leadership development program in a Swedish healthcare region. The study examines managers' expectations of the program and how they describe their skills and conditions for practicing management and leadership before, during, and after participation. It also explores their reflections on the program, including learning, new insights, application in everyday management practice, and conditions for taking part.

Participants complete questionnaires before the program, immediately after it ends, and one year later. During the program, they record reflections in structured diaries. After the program, participants are invited to focus group interviews to discuss their experiences in greater depth. The questionnaire, diary, and interview findings will be combined to provide a broader understanding of managers' development and experiences of the program.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Self-rated management and leadership performance — Before the leadership development program, immediately after program completion, and 12 months after program completion
  Self-rated management and leadership performance will be assessed using the Leadership and Management Inventory-II (LaMI-II). The instrument consists of 25 items divided into two factors: management and leadership. Each item is rated on a five-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (to a very large extent). Scores will be calculated for the management factor, the leadership factor, and the total scale. Raw scores will be transformed to values ranging from 20 to 100 by dividing the sum of the item scores by the highest possible score and multiplying by 100. Higher scores indicate more desirable self-rated management and leadership performance. Changes in management, leadership, and total scores will be examined over time. Scores may also be compared within the study group according to demographic and work-related characteristics and whether participants have considered leaving or have left their current management position.
• Thriving at work — Before the leadership development program, immediately after program completion, and 12 months after program completion.
  Thriving at work will be assessed using the 10-item Thriving Scale. The scale consists of two factors: learning and vitality, with five items representing each factor. Each item is rated on a seven-point scale ranging from 1 (totally disagree) to 7 (totally agree). Mean scores will be calculated for the learning factor, the vitality factor, and the total scale. Higher scores indicate a higher degree of thriving at work, understood as the joint experience of learning and vitality. Changes in learning, vitality, and total thriving scores will be examined over time. Scores may also be compared within the study group according to demographic and work-related characteristics and whether participants have considered leaving or have left their current management position.
• Healthcare Managers' Reflections on the Leadership Development Program — From the beginning of the leadership development program until completion of the focus group interviews, approximately September 2026 to September 2027
  Participants' reflections on the leadership development program will be explored through structured diary entries completed during the program and through focus group interviews conducted after program completion. The diary entries will address participants' expectations of the program and their reflections on learning, insights, application of program content, conditions for participating in the program, and conditions for practicing management and leadership. The focus group interviews will explore these areas in greater depth and will be informed by the participants' collective diary reflections. Diary entries and transcribed focus group interviews will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The outcome will consist of categories describing participants' expectations, experiences, learning, application, and perceived conditions related to the leadership development program and their management and leadership practice.

Trial sites (1)

More Kronoberg County Council trials in Sweden