Relationship between Transformational Leadership and Process and Service Innovation in a Teaching Hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Innovation has become widely recognized as a key to organization's success and leadership style is one of the most important dynamic factors in progress or stagnation of the organizations. Transformational leadership with creating changes in the organization can be able to stimulate staff innovation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and process and service innovation in a teaching hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
In this descriptive-correlational study, 200 staff members were selected from a teaching hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences using the random and classification method in 2016.The data were collected through two questionnaires, a standard questionnaire of transformational leadership of Bass & Avolio and a researcher-made questionnaire of innovation. Data were analyzed using Pearson's tests and regression analysis with SPSS 24 software.
The results showed a positive and significant relationship between transformational leadership and process and service innovation (P = 0.0001). Also, there was a positive and significant relationship between all components of transformational leadership (idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individual consideration and inspirational motivation) with process and service innovation. The results of the regression showed a significant relationship between transformational leadership and process and service innovation (P = 0.0001). In this study, a significant relationship was found between the level of employee's education and innovation (P = 0.0001).
It can be concluded that if the senior management of organizations adopts the transformational leadership style, the ability of the organizations increases to create innovation and organization goes toward growth and progress.