{"title":"Examining the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in Laissez-Faire leadership and nurses' task performance: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Nourah Alsadaan, Osama Mohamed Elsayed Ramadan, Mohammed Alqahtani, Shimaa Magdi Farghaly","doi":"10.1186/s12912-025-03869-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The paradoxical effects of laissez-faire leadership on nursing outcomes in culturally diverse healthcare settings remain inadequately understood, particularly regarding the mediating role of intrinsic motivation.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To examine how intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between laissez-faire leadership and nursing task performance in Saudi Arabian healthcare settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 nurses using validated instruments, including the Laissez-Faire Leadership Assessment Tool, the Intrinsic Motivation Scale, and Nursing Task Performance Metrics. Data were analyzed using regression and mediation analyses to assess direct and indirect relationships between variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Laissez-faire leadership enhanced intrinsic motivation (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) while simultaneously impairing task performance through a significant negative direct effect (β = -0.47, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed intrinsic motivation significantly mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.218, 95% CI [0.145, 0.298]), operating as a suppressor variable that partially masked the detrimental impact of inadequate supervision. The model explained 52.2% of the variance in performance. Domain-specific analysis revealed patient satisfaction improved (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) while medication errors increased (β = -0.21, p < 0.001). Higher intrinsic motivation amplified the negative effects on critical safety outcomes, contradicting the assumption that motivation has a protective role.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study provides novel evidence for culturally moderated, paradoxical effects of laissez-faire leadership in healthcare. The suppression effect extends Self-Determination Theory by demonstrating that basic psychological needs may operate independently rather than synergistically under certain leadership conditions. Healthcare organizations should implement \"structured autonomy\" approaches that preserve motivational benefits while providing necessary competence support and safety oversight, particularly in the context of healthcare transformation initiatives.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial number: </strong>Not applicable.</p>","PeriodicalId":48580,"journal":{"name":"BMC Nursing","volume":"24 1","pages":"1195"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12465585/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"BMC Nursing","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03869-1","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
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Abstract
Background: The paradoxical effects of laissez-faire leadership on nursing outcomes in culturally diverse healthcare settings remain inadequately understood, particularly regarding the mediating role of intrinsic motivation.
Aim: To examine how intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between laissez-faire leadership and nursing task performance in Saudi Arabian healthcare settings.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 250 nurses using validated instruments, including the Laissez-Faire Leadership Assessment Tool, the Intrinsic Motivation Scale, and Nursing Task Performance Metrics. Data were analyzed using regression and mediation analyses to assess direct and indirect relationships between variables.
Results: Laissez-faire leadership enhanced intrinsic motivation (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) while simultaneously impairing task performance through a significant negative direct effect (β = -0.47, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed intrinsic motivation significantly mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.218, 95% CI [0.145, 0.298]), operating as a suppressor variable that partially masked the detrimental impact of inadequate supervision. The model explained 52.2% of the variance in performance. Domain-specific analysis revealed patient satisfaction improved (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) while medication errors increased (β = -0.21, p < 0.001). Higher intrinsic motivation amplified the negative effects on critical safety outcomes, contradicting the assumption that motivation has a protective role.
Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence for culturally moderated, paradoxical effects of laissez-faire leadership in healthcare. The suppression effect extends Self-Determination Theory by demonstrating that basic psychological needs may operate independently rather than synergistically under certain leadership conditions. Healthcare organizations should implement "structured autonomy" approaches that preserve motivational benefits while providing necessary competence support and safety oversight, particularly in the context of healthcare transformation initiatives.
期刊介绍：
BMC Nursing is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that considers articles on all aspects of nursing research, training, education and practice.
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