ArticleBMC nursing2025
Examining the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in Laissez-Faire leadership and nurses' task performance: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Digital Competencies for Pediatric Nurse Leaders to Sustain Patient- and Family-Centered Care: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Artificial intelligence literacy and related factors among nursing undergraduates in Northeast China.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- The dark side of nurse-manager leadership: toxic leadership behaviours, adverse-event reporting, and care quality-an interpretive descriptive study.BMC nursing · 2026Article
- Co-Creating Supportive Leadership and Nurse Work Environments: A Mixed-Methods Participatory Action Research Study in Saudi Arabia.Journal of nursing management · 2026Article
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4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe 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.
aimTo examine how intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between laissez-faire leadership and nursing task performance in Saudi Arabian healthcare settings.
methodsA 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.
resultsLaissez-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.
conclusionThis 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. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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