Leaders interpersonal communication skills enhancing nurses innovative behaviour in northern region Malaysian public state hospitals: moderated by perceived trustworthiness / Darma Ta’siyah Gumbri

This research is a report of a study to examine the relationship between leaders’ interpersonal communication skills and nurses’ innovative behaviour. Specifically, the innovative behaviour is essential for nurses in today’s dynamic healthcare systems whereby, the interpersonal communication skill has become an increasingly important factor in enhancing innovative behaviour. To this relation, this study is based on the conceptual framework of interpersonal communication skills and innovative behaviour while, perceived trustworthiness to act as a moderating variable of this study. It is conducted on nurses grade U29 in public state hospital located in northern region of Peninsular Malaysia and using stratified sampling technique. This is a correlational study and a quantitative research method is employed to determine the existing relationship between the variables. Instruments were tested using a Pearson product moment correlation (r), univariate, bivariate, principal component analysis, two- steps regression and multiple hierarchical regression. Findings indicated that the head of nurses implemented moderately all the five components of interpersonal communication skills, whereas the idea of realization of nurses portrays the high level of agreement in innovative behaviour components. In addition, the innovative behaviour is significantly related to all five components of interpersonal communication skills, while perceived trustworthiness significantly moderates the relationship between interpersonal communication skills (ICS) and innovative behaviour.