Tsarouha Elena, Stuber Felicitas, Seifried-Dübon Tanja, Radionova Natalia, Schnalzer Susanne, Nikendei Christoph, Genrich Melanie, Worringer Britta, Stiawa Maja, Mulfinger Nadine, Gündel Harald, Junne Florian, Rieger Monika A
Institute of Occupational and Social Medicine and Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical University Hospital Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
J Occup Med Toxicol. 2021 Nov 29;16(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12995-021-00339-7.
Mental health and stress prevention aspects related to workplace in hospitals are gaining increasingly more attention in research. The workplace hospital is characterized by high work intensity, high emotional demands, and high levels of stress. These conditions can be a risk for the development of mental disorders. Leadership styles can hinder or foster work-related stress and influence the well-being of employees. Through leadership interventions, leaders may be encouraged to develop a stress-preventive leadership style that addresses both, the well-being of the leaders and of the subordinates. A comprehensive qualitative description of leaders' experiences with interventions on the topic of stress-preventive leadership is yet missing in the literature. Therefore, we address leaders of middle management regarding the development of stress-preventive leadership styles through supporting interventions. The research questions are: How do leaders of middle management perceive their leadership role in terms of effectiveness in stress prevention? Which potentials and limits in the implementation of stress-preventive leadership are experienced?
The study follows a qualitative research design and content analysis. We conducted individual interviews with leaders of middle management (n = 30) of a tertiary hospital in Germany for the participatory development of an intervention. This intervention, consisting of five consecutive modules, addressed leaders of middle management in all work areas within one hospital. After participation in the intervention, the leaders were asked to reflect on and evaluate the implementation of the contents learned within focus group discussions. Overall 10 focus group discussions with leaders (n = 60) were conducted.
The results demonstrate that leaders of middle management perceived potentials for a stress-preventive leadership style (e.g., reflection on leadership role and leadership behavior, awareness/mindfulness, and conveying appreciation). However, limits were also mentioned. These can be differentiated into self-referential, subordinate-related, and above all organizational barriers for the implementation of stress-preventive leadership.
Some of the organizational barriers can be addressed by mid-level leadership interventions (e.g., lack of peer-exchange) or possibly by adapted leadership interventions for top management (e.g., lack of stress-preventive leadership styles in top level management). Other organizational limits are working conditions (e.g., staff shortage) that can only be influenced by health policy decisions.
医院工作场所的心理健康和压力预防方面在研究中越来越受到关注。医院工作场所具有工作强度高、情感需求高和压力水平高的特点。这些情况可能是精神障碍发展的风险因素。领导风格可能会阻碍或促进与工作相关的压力，并影响员工的幸福感。通过领导干预，可能会鼓励领导者发展一种既关注领导者自身又关注下属幸福感的压力预防型领导风格。然而，文献中仍缺少对领导者在压力预防型领导主题干预方面经历的全面定性描述。因此，我们针对中层管理人员，探讨通过支持性干预措施来发展压力预防型领导风格。研究问题如下：中层管理人员如何看待其在压力预防有效性方面的领导角色？在实施压力预防型领导过程中经历了哪些潜力和限制？
本研究采用定性研究设计和内容分析法。我们对德国一家三级医院的中层管理人员（n = 30）进行了个人访谈，以参与一项干预措施的开发。该干预措施由五个连续模块组成，针对医院内所有工作领域的中层管理人员。在参与干预措施后，要求领导者在焦点小组讨论中反思和评估所学内容的实施情况。总共与领导者（n = 60）进行了10次焦点小组讨论。
结果表明，中层管理人员认识到压力预防型领导风格的潜力（例如，反思领导角色和领导行为、意识/正念以及表达赞赏）。然而，也提到了一些限制。这些限制可分为自我参照、与下属相关的限制，尤其是实施压力预防型领导的组织障碍。
一些组织障碍可以通过中层领导干预（例如缺乏同行交流）或可能通过针对高层管理人员的适应性领导干预（例如高层管理中缺乏压力预防型领导风格）来解决。其他组织限制是工作条件（例如人员短缺），这些只能通过卫生政策决策来影响。
