Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Change is a multidimensional and pervasive issue in the modern world, and
organizations are constantly changing in social, cultural, political, economic, and technological fields.
Change leadership is a model that employs a combination of leadership styles to keep the employees
and the organization prepared for learning and continuous growth. This study aims to identify the
dimensions and components of change leadership in medical sciences education to move toward
third‑generation universities through a qualitative approach.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was an applied explorative qualitative study.
Participants included the experts in the field of management and key informants in the field of change
leadership and third‑generation universities who were selected through purposive sampling. The
research tool was semi‑structured interviews aimed at the identification of dimensions and components
of the change leadership. Interview‑guided questions were about change leadership to move toward
the third‑generation universities followed by probing questions. Colaizzi content analysis technique
was used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Data from interview transcript analysis resulted in the identification of 335 initial codes,
13 subcategories, and 3 categories or dimensions. The main categories included “change leadership
roles and specifications,” “providing a context and preparing for change,” and “change leadership
process and path.” Each of the main dimensions included several components.
CONCLUSION: The importance of leadership in the process of change is since change entails the
establishment and institutionalization of new systems and structures which is impossible without
an effective leadership style. Leaders have high expectations of their followers and inspire them
to strive toward organizational goals and facilitate the realization of the shared vision through
encouraging them. As a leadership paradigm for organization performance improvement capable
of encouraging employees and building an organizational culture in which ethical procedures are
considered behavioral norms, change leadership seeks to predict the environment changes so that
it can move in accordance with them.

Keywords

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