The effects of cultural aspects and leadership practices on the healthcare organizations' performance: the case of Saudi Arabia

This article aims to investigate the effects of cultural factors and leadership practices towards organisational performance development in healthcare organizations. A case study of one of Saudi Arabia’s key healthcare providers was used. This study investigated the leadership practices, organizational culture, and performance improvement in the case study of healthcare organisations using qualitative interpretive paradigm to explore, explain and describe “the current state” based on the perceptions and opinion of individuals. Constructive-interpretivism philosophical approach is used for this study, employing a qualitative strategy. The study is specifically sought to determine the factors that promote and inhibit leadership performance improvement culture. Results suggest the heavy influences of organisational culture and other factors in the case study sector such as religious and national cultures, on the leadership performance. Research participants indicate that positive and negative behaviours of leaders and executives in top management affect the performance of employees and shape the organisational culture. The implications of these findings are highlighted, as well as the need to further explore how cultural factors and leadership practicescan affect the level of productivity in this vital sector.