Leadership Styles and Managerial Skills of Dental Clinic Leaders in Ilocos Norte

Abstract

This study examined the leadership styles and managerial skills of dental clinic leaders in Ilocos Norte using the five domain leadership framework, which encompasses Clinical Leadership, Professional Leadership, Health Systems Leadership, Health Policy Leadership, and Clinical and Dental Health Systems Leadership. A quantitative descriptive correlational research design was employed to generate both descriptive and relational insights. The study involved 25 licensed dental practitioners occupying leadership or managerial roles in dental clinics, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire administered through an online platform. Statistical treatments included frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as inferential analyses such as Pearson correlation, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance at a 0.05 level of significance.
Findings revealed that respondents demonstrated high levels of competence in clinical and professional leadership, reflecting strong adherence to standards of patient care, ethical practice, and professional engagement. In contrast, competencies related to health systems and health policy leadership were observed at a moderate level, indicating comparatively limited involvement in governance, policy processes, and systems level decision making. Significant relationships were identified between years in practice and clinical leadership, as well as between leadership position and clinical and dental health systems leadership, suggesting that both experience and formal responsibility contribute to leadership development.The study concludes that while dental clinic leaders possess well established clinical and professional leadership capacities, there remains a need to strengthen competencies related to systems and policy engagement. The findings highlight the importance of integrating leadership and managerial development into both formal education and continuing professional programs to support the sustainability and advancement of dental practice.