Influence of Interpersonal Leadership Competencies on Healthcare Outcomes in Private Hospitals in Nairobi City County, Kenya

Purpose: To determine the influence of interpersonal leadership competencies on healthcare outcomes in private hospitals in Nairobi City County, Kenya. Design: Using competency leadership theory as a framework, the study adopted a descriptive survey research design, targeting 197 senior and middle-level managers from 8 accredited private hospitals (levels 5 and 6). Data collection involved the Middle Managers' Leadership Questionnaire (MMLQ) for quantitative insights and in-depth interview schedules for qualitative data on hospital administrators. A pilot study was conducted at Nazareth Hospital. Validity was tested using content validity. Cronbach’s alpha was employed to test reliability. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentage, mean, standard deviations) and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) was utilized for quantitative data analysis, while qualitative data was examined through thematic analysis. Findings: The study found that there exists a positive and significant effect of interpersonal leadership competency on Healthcare Outcomes of Private hospitals in Nairobi County (β = 0.466 (0.000) at p<0.05). Value: Private hospitals should embrace viable interpersonal competency initiatives such as conflict resolution that could hinder delivery of services and at the end affect health care outcomes.