There are many leadership theories that dominate the field of Industrial and Organizational Psychology; however, there is a lack of understanding as to which leadership processes may be most appropriate for action teams in high stress environments. Previous research has articulated leadership behaviors, but has largely ignored the temporal processes of leadership, and how it changes throughout the operating team’s tenure. The proposed study investigates two types of leadership, namely shared and directive leadership, that take place during critical steps of the perioperative process and relates these leadership behaviors to team dynamics and psychological processes. Specifically, this study builds upon other studies by testing how leadership behaviors are related to levels of psychological safety and the optimization of teamwork and communication among team members. As an exemplar environment, we explore these dynamics in the operating theater, which is a high stakes environment requiring both technical and non-technical skills, such as leadership, communication, and teamwork.
Vivan Zagrese; Ph.D Candidate