How Leadership Communication Shapes the Well-Being of Australian Healthcare Workers in Non-Linear Systems

Abstract

Workplace dynamics within the Australian public healthcare sector influences the well-being and psychosocial safety of healthcare workers, which subsequently impacts occupational commitment and operational stability. This study examines the influence of leadership communication on healthcare worker well-being– a relationship that remains under-examined within the Australian context. Drawing on 16 in-depth interviews with frontline staff and healthcare sector leaders, data were analysed through the theoretical lenses of Complex Adaptive Systems and Dissipative Structures theories to account for the healthcare sectors characteristic unpredictability. The analysis identified repetitive behavioural and emotional patterns of interaction, shaped by leadership communication, which influenced healthcare workers’ responses to systemic turbulence. Healthcare workers’ adverse well-being outcomes and perceived organisational instability were closely coupled with restrictive and inaccessible leadership communication practices. These attractor-like states triggered novel behavioural adaptations, underscoring the critical role of leadership in modulating systemic resilience. The study was weighted toward regional nursing perspectives with broader relevance across the healthcare sector, and provides actionable insights for healthcare managers and leaders, highlighting the necessity of adaptive communication strategies to mitigate psychosocial risks and prevent cascading organisational instability.