The relationship between use of power sources and compliance behavior in respect to leadership style and task complexity: The case of healthcare professionals in Turkey

The use of power is an important part of the leadership which affects getting results directly. Almost all functions of leadership and management entail effective usage of power.In this study, we intended to examine the use of power sources and their effects on compliance behavior with respect to type of task (complex-routine) and leadership style in healthcare industry, specifically private dialysis Centres in Turkey.The sample used in the analysis (N=184) is composed of private dialysis centre employees who works different locations in Turkey. The sample is randomly selected from the private dialysis centres operating in Istanbul, İnegöl, Samsun, Çarşamba, Fatsa, Bolu, Konya, Ilgın, Beyşehir, Akşehir, Ereğli, Aksaray, Niğde and Nevşehir.Two different measurement instruments were used in this study. For the use of power sources, Schwarzwald and Koslowsky?s interpersonal power inventory (IPI), and for measuring leadership style, Bass and Avolio?s multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ 5X) were used.The results indicate that in both routine and complex tasks the most frequently used power sources are persuasive and expert, least frequently used power source is corrective. And type of task does not make any significant difference in the use of power sources. On the other hand, results show that both in routine tasks and complex tasks level of compliance behavior regarding to the use of all four sources of power falls into compliance (obedience) category among the levels of resistance, compliance (obedience) and commitment.The results reveal that there is a significant relationship between leadership style and the use of power sources. And leadership style does not change in relation with type of task.The results also indicate that subordinates? commitment level would be higher to active constructive leaders and resistance level would be higher to the passive avoidance leaders.After the literature review, it has been understood that there is a gap exists regarding to the use of power sources and its impacts on compliance behavior in Turkish literature. This study intends to provide a contribution to the literature by filling that gap.