Relationship between Head Nurses' Leadership Style and Nurses' Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Introduction: : One of the most important issues faced by health organizations is how to use  leadership styles in order to raise motivation in nurses, by which they can perform tasks in addition to their  participation to enhance organizational citizenship behavior.This study was conducted to determine the relationship between head nurses’ leadership styles with Nurses' Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in 2016.

Methods: This study is a correlational cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of nurses who working in different wards of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences' hospitals. Sampling method was stratified random sampling and three questionnaires were used to collect data: Demographic questionnaire, Podsakoff Organizational Citizenship Behavior Questionnaire and Bass and Avolio Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Sample size was 200. Using SPSS 16, data were analyzed by Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Stepwise Multiple Regression tests.

Results: The results showed that nurses' organizational citizenship behavior was fairly favorable. Head nurses used all three leadership styles (transformational, transactional and laissez-faire), but applying transactional leadership style was more than other. There was a positive and significant correlation between head nurses' transactional leadership and nurses' organizational citizenship behavior(r=0.3, p=0.001), head nurses' transformational leadership and nurses' organizational citizenship behavior(r=0.175, p= 0.017) and laissez-faire leadership was negatively and significantly correlated with nurses' organizational citizenship behavior(r= 0.161, p= 0.019).

Conclusion: Head nurses' transformational and transactional leadership styles were significantly correlated with nurses' organizational citizenship behavior, therefore, it is recommended that nurse managers to utilize these leadership styles To raise employees organizational citizenship behavior.