Perceptions of Leadership: Comparing Canadian and Irish Physiotherapists' Views

Purpose: To contribute to the growing body of research on leadership in physiotherapy by comparing leadership-related perceptions of physiotherapists in Ireland and in Canada. Methods: This article compares the results of a survey of Canadian physiotherapists with those of the same survey administered to Irish physiotherapists. The results of both studies have previously been reported and are used here to allow a cultural comparison of the perceptions of physiotherapists. The present study used two-portion Z-tests to compare the percentage of physiotherapists in Ireland who self-declared as a leader with the percentage of physiotherapists in Canada who did so. Results: Physiotherapists in both Ireland and Canada most often rated communication and professionalism as extremely important characteristics. Physiotherapists in Canada were more likely than those in Ireland to perceive themselves as leaders (Z=2.67, p < 0.05; 95% CI: 1.33, 9.87). Factors associated with self-declaration as a leader differed between the two countries. Conclusion: Physiotherapists in Canada and Ireland showed both similarities and differences in their perceptions of leadership characteristics. Results from this study may aid the development of future leadership training programmes specifically targeted at physiotherapists.