Role of Toxic Leaders in Shaping the Healthcare Providers’ Engagement

Abstract

Background: The work of employees and the business is significantly impacted by leaders who exhibit toxic habits. This study investigated the relationship between healthcare providers’ engagement in healthcare organizations and toxic leadership behaviours. Materials and Methods: A descriptive correlational study design was employed in ten hospitals. Three hundred fifty-five healthcare professionals made up the study sample, which was selected using a convenient sampling technique. The two instruments used to gather data were the work engagement questionnaire and the toxic leadership scale. Results: Physicians have the highest mean score regarding toxic leaders’ behaviours (92.44). In contrast, pharmacists have the lowest mean score for toxic leader’s behaviours (73.51). Pharmacists have the highest mean score regarding employee engagement (145.10), while physicians have the lowest score (122.80). A significant negative correlation exists between toxic leaders’ behaviours and employee engagement within the only nursing staff (r = 0.683, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The actions of toxic leaders negatively correlate with staff members’ level of engagement. There is a statistically significant difference between healthcare providers regarding all dimensions of employee engagement and toxic leadership behaviours.