title: Leadership styles of Finnish nurse managers and factors influencing it.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to explore nurse managers' perceptions of their leadership styles and factors influencing it.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  It is a challenge for nurse managers to retain nurses in hospitals and to ensure a high quality of care in nursing practice. Leadership style is an important part of leadership. Knowledge concerning nurse managers' resonant and non-resonant leadership styles provides nurse managers with tools to reflect on their own leadership style.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-ended, tape-recorded interviews were conducted with 13 nurse managers from five Finnish hospitals and two long-term care facilities. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five categories of leadership style were discerned: visionary, coaching, affiliate, democratic, commanding. Factors that influence leadership style were identified: earlier superiors, values, information, cooperation, employees and education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study show that Finnish nurse managers use both resonant and non-resonant leadership styles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study show that nurse managers use a variety of leadership styles. The study demonstrates the importance of knowledge about leadership styles and factors influencing it among nurse managers providing future leadership and management education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Health Administration, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Soili
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vesterinen
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paasivaara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007857:Leadership; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012938:Social Perception