Abstract
Employee retention is of significant concern in regard to client outcomes and satisfaction that drive reimbursement. This study considers whether leadership factors affect employee satisfaction and intent to stay in the profession and current role.
Primary Author and Speaker: Nicole Spaldo
Few studies have been done regarding leadership and occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) retention; however preventing turnover improves patient outcomes and reduces organizational costs (Cummings et al 2018). What is the impact of authentic leadership on an OTP’s intent to leave (ITL) a role? A survey-based design gathered demographic information and scores on the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) from licensed OTPs with at least 6 months of experience (Walabumba et al, 2008). The ALQ, a 16-item scale, obtained scores related to four factors: transparency, moral processing, balanced processing, and self- awareness of the supervisor. Researcher-designed questions gathered information about professional satisfaction and demographics. Descriptive statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation were used to discern details, differences, and relationships between ALQ factors and ITL. Seventy-three completed surveys were returned. 50% of participants reported considering leaving their role with a specific supervisor. Alpha (p) was set at .05. ANOVA showed a significant relationship (p<.001) between all four ALQ factors and ITL current role. Pearson Correlation indicated negative correlation between all four factors and ITL the profession: transparency (r(54)= -.438, p=<.001), moral processing (r(55)=-.454, p=<.001), balanced processing (r(55)=-.322, p=.015). This study provides a foundation for future exploration of leadership style which can aide in promoting retention within an organization. It also highlights specific leadership qualities and factors that are correlated to improve satisfaction and retention. This information can guide leaders in healthcare in increasing employee satisfaction and retention and, thereby improving patient outcomes. Training leaders in authentic leadership may improve OTP retention and satisfaction and lead to time, resource, and cost savings.
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