The Role of Empathetic Leadership in the Successful Implementation of Organizational Change: A Field Study of the Opinions among a Sample of Head Departments in Selected Public Hospitals in Duhok Governorate | Tikrit Journal of Administrative and Economic Sciences

The study aimed to examine the role of Empathetic Leadership in the Successful Implementation of Organizational Change in public hospitals in Duhok Governorate. The study included two main variables: Empathetic Leadership with its five core dimensions: (affective reactivity, cognitive ability, cognitive drive, affective ability, and affective drive (and the success of organizational change implementation, measured through:(commitment to change and change effectiveness). The research followed a descriptive-analytical approach and relied on a structured questionnaire to collect data from the field. The sample consisted of 157 individuals, including managers and administrative unit heads working in public hospitals in Duhok.

The study problem centered on identifying whether Empathetic Leadership could influence the successful implementation of organizational change. A set of hypotheses was developed to test the relationships and effects between the variables, and a conceptual model was designed to reflect those connections. Several statistical tools were used to analyze the data, including correlation analysis, simple and multiple regression, as well as pre- and post-testing using SPSS V.24.

The study revealed several important findings. Most notably, Empathetic Leadership has a significant positive impact on the success of organizational change implementation. Specifically, the dimensions of cognitive drive, affective ability, and cognitive ability had a meaningful influence on successful change, while affective reactivity and affective drive did not show a statistically significant effect.

Based on these findings, the study recommended enhancing the cognitive aspects of leadership, particularly before initiating change processes—especially in healthcare organizations. Future research suggestions included expanding the sample to cover the entire Iraq and Kurdistan Region and exploring other leadership styles in relation to the success of organizational change across various sectors.

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Rojan Jabar Mohammed, & Range M. Nori Dawoda. (2026). The Role of Empathetic Leadership in the Successful Implementation of Organizational Change: A Field Study of the Opinions among a Sample of Head Departments in Selected Public Hospitals in Duhok Governorate. Tikrit Journal of Administrative and Economic Sciences, 22(73 part 1), 354–379. https://doi.org/10.25130/tjaes.22.73.1.17

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Vol. 22 No. 73 part 1 (2026): vol.22, no 73 part 1 year 2026

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