THE INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP TRUST ON EMPLOYEES’ WORK PASSION IN PUBLIC OWNED HOSPITALS IN ENUGU-EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of leadership trust on employees’ work passion in public-owned hospitals in Enugu East, Nigeria. The healthcare sector in Nigeria faces challenges of low morale, high turnover, and declining service quality, often linked to poor leader-employee relationships. Despite this, little empirical evidence exists on how leadership trust specifically affects employees’ passion for work in public hospitals within Enugu East. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. A sample of 320 health workers comprising doctors, nurses, and administrative staff was selected using stratified random sampling from 3 public-owned hospitals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire with validated scales for Leadership Trust and Employees’ Work Passion. Hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that leadership trust has a significant positive influence on employees’ work passion. The study concludes that leadership trust significantly influences employees’ work passion in public owned hospitals in Enugu-East, Nigeria. Therefore, fostering competence, integrity, and benevolence in hospital leadership is key to enhancing employees’ passion and overall healthcare service delivery. It is recommended that hospital management should institutionalize trust-building practices such as transparent communication, ethical decision-making, and employee involvement to enhance workforce passion and service delivery in public hospitals.