PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE TO CHANGE IN MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS: THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR STAFF
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/3041-2021/2025-2-2Keywords:
psychological resistance, leadership style, emotional support, medical organizations, change managementAbstract
This article presents a comprehensive investigation into psychological resistance to change within medical organizations, with a focus on the influence of leadership style and emotional support for staff. Psychological resistance is conceptualized as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing cognitive evaluations, emotional responses, and behavioral strategies. The theoretical role of leadership styles – authoritarian, democratic, transformational, and emotionally oriented – in regulating staff reactions to organizational transformation is substantiated. Particular attention is given to leadership typologies developed by K. Lewin, R. Likert, R. Blake and J. Mouton, and D. Goleman.Within the healthcare context, the study emphasizes the significance of professional identity, cognitive rigidity, perceived uncertainty, and emotional burden as key factors amplifying resistance. The impact of interpersonal and organizational variables, such as trust in leadership, communication quality, informal leadership, and organizational culture is thoroughly examined.The article proposes a flexible managerial response model that involves the phased application of various leadership styles aligned with the stages of change implementation. It advocates for the integration of emotional support, dialogic communication, and active staff engagement in decision-making as effective strategies to mitigate resistance. Resistance is framed not as a destructive obstacle but as a potential source of feedback, which, when appropriately managed, can serve as a valuable resource for organizational development.
References
Журавська О. В. Психологічний аналіз професійної дезадаптації у діяльності медичних спеціалістів, що працюють з хворими на туберкульоз. Наука і освіта : науково-практичний журнал Південного наукового центру НАПН України. 2014. № 5 (122). С. 218–223.
Можвіло О. А. Дослідження психологічних причин опору персоналу інноваційним змінам в організаціях сфери послуг Наука і освіта. 2010. № 4–5. С. 24–31.
Янковой Р., Жосан Г., Возний Д. Управління цифровими змінами у медичних закладах. 2025. https://ekmair.ukma.edu.ua/server/api/core/bitstreams/7ff8501a-895a-4a31-a7a4-8917b9635544/content.
Ajzen I. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 1991. № 50 (2). С. 179–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T.
Davis F. D. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems. 1989. № 13 (3). С. 319–339. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008.
Emanuel E. J., Emanuel L. L. Four Models of the Physician-Patient Relationship. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1992. Вип. 267(16). С. 2221–2226. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1992.03480160079038.
Gao K., Shao M., Sun L. Roles of psychological resistance to change factors and heterogeneity in car stickiness and transit loyalty in mode shift behavior: A hybrid choice approach. Sustainability (Switzerland). 2019. № 11(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174813.
Goleman D. Emotional Intelligence. New York : Bantam Books, 1995. 352 р.
Kotter J. Leading Change. Boston : Harvard Business Press, 1996.
Lewin K. Field Theory in Social Science. New York : Harper, 1951.
Likert R. New Patterns of Management. New York : McGraw-Hill, 1961.
Mareš J. Resistance of health personnel to changes in healthcare. Kontakt. Urban and Partner, 2018. September. 1https://doi.org/10.1016/j.kontakt.2018.04.002.
Oreg S. Resistance to change: Developing an individual differences measure. Journal of Applied Psychology, 2003.
Ouellette J. A., Wood W. Habit and Intention in Everyday Life: The Multiple Processes by Which Past Behavior Predicts Future Behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 1998. № 124(1). Р. 54–74. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.1.54.
Piderit S. Rethinking resistance and recognizing ambivalence: A multidimensional view of attitudes toward an organizational change. Academy of Management Review. 2000. № 25(4). Р. 783–794. DOI: 10.5465/AMR.2000.3707722.
Schein E. Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass, 2010. 435 р.
Samhan B., Joshi K. D. Resistance of healthcare information technologies; Literature review, analysis, and gaps. In Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 2015. March. Р. 2992–3001. IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2015.362.
Smith T., Grant G., Ramirez A. Investigating the influence of psychological ownership and resistance on usage intention among physicians. In Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 2014. Р. 2808–2817. IEEE Computer Society. https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2014.351.
Szasz T. S., Hollender M. H. A Contribution to the Philosophy of medicine: The Basic Models of the Doctor- Patient Relationship. A. M. A Archives of Internal Medicine. 1956. № 97(5). Р. 585–592. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1956.00250230079008.
Tomai M., Esposito F., Rosa V. Psychologists in Italian hospital settings: An exploratory analysis of hospital physicians’ representations and demands of psychological intervention. Interdisciplinaria. 2017. № 34(1). Р. 5–23. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2017.34.1.1.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
