Innovation Leadership and Employee Behaviours in Nurse Recruitment in Saudi Arabian Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Nursing shortages are a global issue, and Saudi Arabia is no exception as attracting and retaining nurses have become increasingly difficult for Saudi hospitals. As only a few studies have explored innovation as a solution to resolving nursing shortages, this study therefore aims to explore the factors which impact innovative practices in nursing recruitment in the Saudi healthcare system. It does so from the perspective of Saudi staff, inclusive of both managers as well as those they manage. The study has four objectives: to understand the effects of culture on leadership and staff innovation; to explore how leadership practices shape innovation; to understand the concept of innovation from the perspective of Saudi staff; and to identify and overcome barriers to innovation practices in the recruitment and nursing staff. The study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews, and included a sample of 20 managers and staff in total. The sample was drawn from two divisions at two hospitals in Saudi Arabia: recruitment management, and nursing management. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and the findings indicate that there is a general lack of understanding of the concept of innovation among the staff. In addition, the results suggest that there are certain conditions which need to be met in order for innovation to be encouraged to help solve the nursing shortage problem. The findings also indicated that the characteristics of Saudi healthcare leaders, which can be described as primarily a transactional style of leadership, actually hinders innovation in nursing and recruitment departments. Moreover, this was also found to negatively impact other aspects of the work environment and staff motivation, which hinders innovation further. In relation to culture, the present study found that aspects of Saudi society such as personality, belongingness, religion, education and family can have a negative impact on innovation in terms of nurse recruitment. Finally, the present study offers a number of practical implications, and outlines several areas which future researchers may wish to address.