The Impact of Nurse Manager Leadership Styles on Nurse Job Satisfaction: A Cross Sectional Study at Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar

Introduction: Job satisfaction is a key determinant of nurse retention, morale, and quality of care. Leadership styles directly shape satisfaction by influencing recognition, autonomy, and support within clinical environments. In Qatar’s multicultural nursing workforce, understanding these dynamics is critical. Objective: This study investigated the relationship between nurse manager leadership styles and nurses’ job satisfaction at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 980 registered nurses recruited through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured online questionnaire incorporating socio-demographic data, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X), and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire – Short Form (MSQ). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including Spearman’s correlation, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis H tests, were employed. Results: The sample was predominantly female (72.1%) and expatriate, with Indian (42.1%) and Filipino (33.9%) nurses forming the largest groups. Transactional leadership (mean = 2.57) was more common than transformational leadership (mean = 2.20). Overall satisfaction levels were moderate. Transformational leadership showed a strong positive correlation with both intrinsic satisfaction (rho = 0.66, p < 0.001) and extrinsic satisfaction (rho = 0.79, p < 0.001), yielding an overall significant relationship with total job satisfaction (rho = 0.73, p < 0.001).Transactional leadership demonstrated a weak to moderate positive correlation (rho = 0.30, p < 0.001), while passive-avoidant leadership showed no meaningful association with satisfaction (rho = 0.06, p = 0.041). Conclusion: Transformational leadership has the strongest influence on job satisfaction, while transactional and passive-avoidant styles limit long-term fulfillment. Enhancing transformational leadership at HMC may improve satisfaction, retention, and workforce stability.