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Leader identity development in healthcare: an existential-phenomenological study

Anne Koskiniemi (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland)
Hanna Vakkala (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland)
Ville Pietiläinen (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland)

Leadership in Health Services

ISSN: 1751-1879

Article publication date: 18 May 2018

Issue publication date: 31 January 2019

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to take an existential-phenomenological perspective to understand and describe the experienced leader identity development of healthcare leaders working in dual roles. Leader identity development under the influence of strong professional identities of nurses and doctors has remained an under-researched phenomenon to which the study contributes.

Design/methodology/approach

Existential-phenomenology serves as a perspective underpinning the whole research, and an existential-phenomenological method is applied in the interview data analysis.

Findings

The study showed leader identity development in healthcare to be most strongly influenced and affected by clinical work and its meanings and followers’ needs and leader–follower relationships. In addition, four other key categories were presented as meaningful in leader identity development; leader identity development is an ongoing process occurring in relations of the key categories.

Originality/value

The existential-phenomenological approach and analysis method offer a novel way to understand leader identity development and work identities as experienced.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research was conducted as part of the Humanly Efficient Leadership research project, funded by The Finnish Work Environment Fund, Lapland Hospital District and Northern Ostrobothnia Hospital District.

Citation

Koskiniemi, A., Vakkala, H. and Pietiläinen, V. (2019), "Leader identity development in healthcare: an existential-phenomenological study", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHS-06-2017-0039

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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