An investigation of the saudi healthcare system's readiness for change in the light of vision 2030: The role of transformational leadership style

Abstract

Objectives: Organisational change is among the major challenges that face healthcare organisations, and many factors affect their ability to be ready to adopt the change desired. Among these important factors are the significant role of the attitude of the leadership that is responsible for the change. This empirical study was conducted to examine the role and contribution of the transformational leadership style to the readiness for change in healthcare organisations in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Primary data were collected from a sample of 83 middle managers in the hospitals in the Al-Qassim region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to examine the role of transformational leadership in the readiness for change in healthcare organisations. Cross-sectional data were analysed using SPSS. Results: A positive and significant relation was found between transformational leadership and the readiness for change with 30% variation in the dependent variable (R2 = 0.30). Conclusions: This study is valuable for healthcare policymakers and providers, as it offers information about the leadership behaviours desired in readiness for change that have the potential to influence the intentions, attitudes and beliefs of members of healthcare organisations that help them accept and understand a change initiative.