Meta-Analysis : The Effect Of Leadership On Improving Healthcare Service Quality

Abstract

Improving the quality of healthcare services is a fundamental objective of health systems worldwide, with leadership recognized as a crucial factor influencing its successful attainment (Nazir et al., 2025). Although numerous empirical studies have examined this relationship, the findings remain inconsistent. This study conducted a systematic meta-analysis to compile recent evidence and quantitatively estimate the strength of the association between leadership and healthcare service quality improvement (Iman Nurjaman & Saparlina, 2025). The review focused on identifying the most effective leadership styles in both clinical and managerial domains, as well as exploring the underlying mechanisms of influence (Yu et al., 2024). The analysis included publications from 2020 to 2025. The findings revealed that leadership consistently demonstrates a positive and significant relationship with healthcare service quality. Among various leadership models, the transformational style exhibited the strongest effect (Pooled r = 0.66), categorized as a strong correlation, particularly in the context of enhancing nursing service quality (Iman Nurjaman & Saparlina, 2025). This effect was mediated by increased work engagement and the strengthening of a safety culture (Yu et al., 2024; Sima et al., 2023). Overall, this meta-analysis underscores that competent leadership especially transformational leadership is a critical element in reinforcing continuous improvement efforts in healthcare service quality (Hashlan et al., 2024).