Leadership and well-being of employees in the Nordic countries: A literature review.
Daniel Lundqvist, Andreas Wallo, Cathrine Reineholm
PMID 36502360WHAT IT FOUND
Leadership affects employee well-being mostly indirectly, by shaping the work environment and social climate.
Transformational and supportive styles link to job satisfaction, but the specific behaviours that cause these changes remain unclear and context-dependent.
Key findings
01Leadership influences employee well-being primarily through indirect factors in the work environment, such as social climate and task conditions, rather than direct effects.
02Transformational and supportive leadership styles show associations with work-related well-being outcomes like job satisfaction and work engagement.
03Qualitative data suggests effective leadership is situational, requiring a balance between being available and hands-on while also providing employees with autonomy and space.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Most included quantitative studies were cross-sectional, so they cannot prove that leadership causes well-being. The definition of 'well-being' varied widely across studies, with most focusing on job satisfaction rather than physical or mental health outcomes. The review is limited to studies from Nordic countries, which have unique labour market and cultural characteristics that may not apply elsewhere. Qualitative studies included in the review rarely measured actual employee well-being outcomes, focusing instead on perceptions of leadership. The authors note a lack of theoretical clarity, with many studies applying North American leadership theories without adapting them to the Nordic context.
Declared interests
The text does not report any specific funding sources or conflicts of interest declarations for the authors of this review.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the associations with transformational leadership as a proven recipe for improving staff health. The relationship is indirect and mediated by complex workplace factors, and the review highlights that we do not yet know which specific leadership behaviours actually cause these changes.