Can Virtual Leadership Work in Tanzanian Healthcare? Examining SME and Large Provider Practices
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced healthcare organisations to adapt rapidly, propelling them into a
virtual work environment.
Objective: This study delves into the experiences of three hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, showcasing how
leaders and their teams navigated this shift in diverse settings: two small and one large private hospital.
Method: All 30 interviews generated insightful responses, but this small-scale study draws upon the 19 answers
that best captured the core themes and findings from the conducted research.
Results: Our results show that transitioning teams to the digital space presents challenges different from those of
face-to-face teams, requiring leaders and followers to show agility. However, the research also suggests that virtual
team members become more productive under the right conditions.
Conclusion: Highlighting a gap in the literature, this study offers critical insights that deliver a glimpse of virtual
work in Tanzanian hospitals from two small and one large public hospital.
Keywords: COVID-19; Virtual work; Tanzanian SME Healthcare leadership; Tanzanian Large firm Healthcare
Leadership; Team dynamics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Darlene Mutalemwa, Ernest Michael Ntalindanya , Faisal Issa
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