title: Leadership, innovation climate, and attitudes toward evidence-based practice during a statewide implementation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leadership is important in practice change, yet there are few studies addressing this issue in mental health and social services. This study examined the differential roles of transformational (i.e., charismatic) leadership and leader-member exchange (i.e., the relationship between a supervisor and their direct service providers) on team innovation climate (i.e., openness to new innovations) and provider attitudes toward adopting evidence-based practice (EBP) during a statewide evidence-based practice implementation (EBPI) of an intervention to reduce child neglect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 140 case-managers in 30 teams providing home-based services to families in a statewide child-welfare system. Teams were assigned by region to EBPI or services as usual (SAU) conditions. Multiple group path analysis was used to examine associations of transformational leadership and leader-member exchange with innovation climate and attitudes toward adoption and use of EBP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transformational leadership predicted higher innovation climate during implementation, whereas leader-member exchange predicted higher innovation climate during SAU. Innovation climate was, in turn, associated with more positive attitudes toward EBP for the EBPI group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies designed to enhance supervisor transformational leadership have the potential to facilitate implementation efforts by promoting a strong climate for EBPI and positive provider attitudes toward adoption and use of EBP.
authors.affiliation: University of California–San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0812, USA. gaarons@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Gregory A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Aarons
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sommerfeld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004493:Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D018574:Home Care Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007857:Leadership; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010559:Personnel Management; D011340:Problem Solving