Impact of the management's leadership traits on key activity indicators of surgical clinics

Abstract

Human resources reform is the main driver of improvement and change in healthcare organizations and the healthcare system in general. Thorough transformation of management and improvements in the structure and quality of employee performance are necessary for progress in the healthcare sector. This need for change stems from an increasing awareness of the importance of strategic human resources planning in healthcare, as well as the necessity of providing better quality services despite limited financial resources. Leadership skills are recognized as key to success in healthcare and can be adopted through targeted work and development, which benefits not only institutions but also individuals on a personal level. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the importance of capacity building in leadership and management, proposing a model that balances between four interconnected segments. This model should be adapted to local specificities, so that it would be as efficient as possible. The specific objective of this research was to analyse the leadership qualities of heads of surgical clinics of the University Clinical Centre in Niš (UCC Niš), based on employee ratings, and to explore how these qualities affect the key indicators of success of these clinics. The research consisted of two parts: qualitative, which included an analysis of the tertiary level healthcare institution during the period from June 2010 to March 2017, and quantitative, in which data on the activities and the quality of operation of surgical clinics were collected and analysed. Research results indicate a generally high leadership abilities rating among surgical clinic managers, noting that building trust among employees has been identified as an area with room for improvement. The highest ratings were assigned to managers' qualities related to goal-orientation and perseverance in their achievement, regardless of the circumstances. The study also shows that leadership qualities have a significant impact on key performance indicators of surgical clinics, confirming the importance of developing effective leadership in the healthcare sector.