The Effect of Leadership Style on Midwives’ Performance, Southwest, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Leadership is the basis of professional and organizational commitment, teamwork and success. Midwives leaders’ leadership skills and capabilities have long been recognized as essential contributors to health services and outcomes. However, there are insufficient reports on the effect of leadership styles on midwives’ performance in African countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of leadership style on midwives’ performance in public health Institutions, southwest Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effect of leadership style on midwives’ performance, Southwest Ethiopia/2022. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 121 midwives using a random sampling technique and a pre-tested questionnaire from May 19/2022-June to 6/2022. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.4.2.1, edited, coded, categorized and cleaned before analysis. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 24; and the results are presented in tables, and statements. Correlations and linear regressions were conducted to identify the relationship between leadership style and midwives’ performance. RESULTS: In this study, the autocratic leadership style was predominantly practiced by midwifery leaders with a mean score of 2.996 followed by democratic (Mean=2.632) and laissez-faire (Mean=2.49) leadership styles. Inferential statistics (Correlation) analysis revealed a positive relationship between democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles and a negative relationship between autocratic styles and midwives’ performance. Multiple linear regressions showed that both democratic (P=0.02) and laissez-faire leadership styles (P=0.00) had a positive effect where as autocratic leadership style (P=0.60) had a negative effect on midwives’ performance. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Autocratic Leadership is the most practiced leadership style in the study area. An autocratic leadership style was negatively related to midwives’ performance, while democratic and laissez faire styles were positively related. Therefore, health care leaders, administrators, supervisors and department heads should implement democratic and laissez-faire leadership styles to enhance midwives’ performance.