A cultural context approach to leadership effectiveness in healthcare: Evidence from Ghana

OThis study investigates the relationship between leadership styles and employee performance within hospitals in the Effutu Municipality, Ghana. Targetingnurses, healthcare administrators, allied health professionals, and domestic staff from four purposefully selected hospitals, a sample size of 384 participants was determined using the Cochran formula. A stratified random sampling technique ensured aproportional representation of the distinct subgroups. A final usable sample of 300 participants was achieved after thorough data checking and screening. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed from established leadership constructs, exhibiting high reliability with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.87. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0, including multiple linear regression to assess the impact of various leadership styles on employee performance. The findings indicate that all examined leadership styles—transactional, bureaucratic, autocratic, transformational, democratic, participative, and laissez-faire—had significant positive effects on employee performance. These results challenge the notion of a single "best" leadership style, suggesting that the effectiveness of leadership approaches is context-dependent. The study's limitations include its geographical scope, with recommendations for future research to explore contextual factors, long-term effects, and cross-cultural comparisons to enhance the understanding of leadership impacts in diverse healthcaresettings.