Examining the impact of managerial support on the performance of healthcare organizations - the mediating role of employee autonomy

Introduction/Objective. This paper aims to examine the influence of managerial support and employee autonomy on the performance of healthcare organizations. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the mediating influence of employee autonomy on the relationship between managerial support and organizational performance. Method. The study involved 165 employees from four healthcare organizations in the Branicevo District in the Republic of Serbia. Independent variable - Managerial support and mediating variable - employee autonomy was measured using Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI) scale. For dependent variable - organizational performance, a scale adapted from previous research was utilized, consisting of financial results, quality of service delivered, productivity, employee satisfaction, patient satisfaction, reputation, and adaptability to change dimensions. Employees of healthcare facilities were surveyed regarding their attitudes on a five-point Likert scale to statements designed to measure the aforementioned variables. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, internal reliability tests, normality distribution tests, correlation, and regression analysis. Results. The scales used for measurement achieved a high level of internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.870 to 0.937, indicating strong reliability. A high level of Cronbach's alpha coefficients was defined based on established thresholds, where scores above 0.7 were considered high. The regression analysis reveals a statistically significant and positive influence of managerial support and autonomy on organizational performance (? = 0.539, p < 0.000; ? = 0.301, p < 0.000, respectively). Additionally, a mediating effect of autonomy in the relationship between managerial support and organizational performance was identified (? = 0.5579; p < 0.0397). Conclusion. Managerial support significantly impacts the performance of healthcare organizations, with this effect being further enhanced by granting employees autonomy. Therefore, managers in these organizations can enhance organizational performance by improving support and fostering the development of employee autonomy.