Evaluating change: person-centred leadership qualitative analysis

The PLOS One study shows that a six-month person-centred leadership programme can produce self-reported changes in leadership practice across three tracks: self-leadership, team-leadership, and workforce development, according to Klinga et al. in PLOS One (published July 22, 2026).

• The study interviewed 13 leaders in digital face-to-face interviews held between 27/01/2023 and 16/03/2023, as reported in PLOS One on July 22, 2026.
• The programme admitted 80 leaders in 2022 and ran six modules combining digital, in-person, and workplace-based activities, according to PLOS One (Klinga et al., 2026).
• Interviews lasted 40–65 minutes (mean 52 minutes), transcribed verbatim and analysed using conventional content analysis, as described in the PLOS One methods section.
• Participants summarised the programme impact in participant language: one observed, "You get the chance to pause and reflect in a way that you don’t usually do" (participant, Interview 10; PLOS One, July 22, 2026).

Answer: The PLOS One study explored leaders’ experiences after a six-month educational programme and measured change through interviews and conventional content analysis.

According to PLOS One (Klinga et al., published July 22, 2026), the University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care and the Swedish Association of Health Professionals delivered a blended six-module programme in 2022 that combined flipped-classroom preparation, workshops, and workplace assignments.

According to PLOS One (Klinga et al., 2026), the study purposefully sampled 13 programme completers and conducted individual interviews between 27/01/2023 and 16/03/2023; interview lengths ranged 40–65 minutes with a mean of 52 minutes and were transcribed verbatim for conventional content analysis.

According to PLOS One (Klinga et al., 2026), analysis moved from descriptive codes to three analytical tracks (self-leadership, team-leadership, workforce development) and culminated in the overarching theme "Developing person-centred leadership practices."

Answer: The PLOS One findings imply that programme evaluation should measure changes at self, team, and workforce levels and capture preconditions for continuous learning.

According to PLOS One (Klinga et al., 2026), capturing preconditions such as managerial support, time for coaching, and workplace involvement is essential because participants reported that outcomes depended on those contextual factors.

According to PLOS One (Klinga et al., 2026), use of workplace-based assignments and peer reflection supported transfer to practice, so researchers should include artefacts (implementation plans, reflective journals) alongside interviews when evaluating leadership change.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015), people-centred care requires system-level alignment; researchers should therefore triangulate leader reports with employee and patient perspectives and with documented workplace changes. See the WHO strategy: WHO global strategy on people-centred and integrated health services.

The PLOS One study (Klinga et al., published July 22, 2026) documents self-reported leadership changes across self-leadership, team-leadership, and workforce development and stresses the importance of organisational preconditions for sustained change.

Researchers evaluating similar programmes should collect multi-source evidence (interviews, workplace artefacts, patient and employee perspectives) and report dates, sample sizes, and verbatim quotations for transparency, following the PLOS One example.

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