Assessing Leadership Behaviour Using Modified Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) among Healthcare Managers Working at Government Health Agencies in Bangladesh

Authors

  • Rezwana Islam Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Md Nazmul Hassan Refat Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Abu Sadat Mohammad Nurunnabi Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
  • Shabnaj Akter Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Gul E Noor Tasmia Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Mukta Das Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Rezwana Sultana Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
  • Sucheta Kanan Department of Public Health and Hospital Administration, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM), Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjme.v16i2.83120

Keywords:

Leadership behaviour, leadership style, healthcare managers, public health sector

Abstract

Background: Assessing leadership behaviour has become more important than ever in recent years to enhance the managerial and leadership qualities of health managers to improve the capacity of healthcare delivery to the people of the country. Objective: To assess the leadership behaviour of healthcare managers working at two largest government agencies in health sector of Bangladesh. Materials & Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 154 medical doctors working in different management positions, between January and December of 2023. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using modified Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Four leadership styles (autocratic, democratic, transformational and laissez-faire) were assessed. 15 factors were taken into consideration; each factor had 3 associated questions. Using factor analysis, leadership behaviour was classified as high, moderate and low; low value was 0–4, while medium and high values were 5–8 and 9–12 respectively. Results: The mean age of the respondents was (43.25±8.387) years; 35.7% belonged to 41–50 years age group. 74.7% were male and 25.3% were female. Most of our study participants exhibited moderate levels of autocratic (66.2%) and laissez-faire (50.2%) leadership behaviour in their managerial roles. In contrast, they displayed high levels of democratic (96.8%) and transformational (93.5%) leadership behaviour. Through factor analysis, autocratic leadership behaviour was found at moderate levels among healthcare managers, while high levels of democratic and transformational and low levels of laissez-faire leadership behaviour were adopted by them. Conclusion: Healthcare managers must have clear understanding of various leadership styles to lead their organization towards highest level of quality health service. The results of this study may lead to development of necessary leadership education and training programmes for healthcare professionals of our country.

BJME, Volume-16, Issue-02, July 2025: 115-121

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Published

2025-07-20

How to Cite

Islam, R., Refat, M. N. H., Nurunnabi, A. S. M., Akter, S., Tasmia, G. E. N., Das, M., … Kanan, S. (2025). Assessing Leadership Behaviour Using Modified Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) among Healthcare Managers Working at Government Health Agencies in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Education, 16(2), 115–121. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjme.v16i2.83120

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Original Articles

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