Assessing the Effect of Transactional Leadership and Empowerment on Nursing Staff's Satisfaction: A Cross-Sectional Study

AIM: The present study aimed to explore the impact of transactional leadership and psychological empowerment on Greek nurses' job satisfaction. METHODS: Alpha cross-sectional study was conducted in five Greek public general hospitals between January 1 and March 30, 2022. Participants were 608 nurses. The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire that included: a) demographic and occupational characteristics, b) the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), c) the Psychological Empowerment Instrument (PEI), and d) the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale (KUHJSS). RESULTS: Mean scores indicated positive perceptions of transactional leadership (3.55 +/- 0.72), high levels of empowerment (3.94 +/- 0.49), and job satisfaction (leadership 3.92 +/- 1.07, working environment 3.34 +/- 0.78, motivating factors 4.11 +/- 0.89, and team spirit 4.08 +/- 0.37). Younger nurses with secondary education exhibited higher satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses identified nurses' level of education, transactional leadership, and psychological empowerment as main predictors of leadership satisfaction (F = 4.343, p = .002, R-2 = .28, adjusted R-2 = .22). Younger nurses with higher empowerment levels and positive attitudes toward transactional leadership reported greater satisfaction from motivating factors (F = 6.925, p = .000, R-2 = .44, adjusted R-2 = .38). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that nurses' satisfaction from work is mainly derived from leadership, despite the potent effect of psychological empowerment.