Relationships between the components of nurse managers' transformational leadership and organisational learning...

To investigate the association between the five components of nurse managers' transformational leadership and each process of organisational learning in a hospital ward.

Elucidating the components of nurse managers' transformational leadership that promote organisational learning is needed.

In 2018, 591 self-report questionnaires from two hospitals in Japan were analysed, using the measurement scale for Organizational Learning Subprocesses and Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Hierarchical linear modelling was conducted using the wards' mean scores of five components of transformational leadership and five subprocesses of organisational learning.

None of the transformational leadership components were significantly associated with information acquisition, but all five were significantly positively associated with information distribution and information integration. Only some of the five components showed a significant association with information interpretation and organisational memory.

Transformational leadership may be effective to promote the four organisational learning processes other than information acquisition.

A nurse manager should exercise leadership other than transformational leadership, or use other strategies to promote information acquisition. However, particular behaviours of transformational leadership, such as intellectually stimulating behaviours and personal considerations, could be effective in promoting the understanding of information among the members and establishing new routines.