Leadership and Social Work (Journal)
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Transformational Leadership as a Retention Factor in Child WelfareServices: An International Comparative Study
No full textObjective: This article analyzes the relationship between transformational leadership and workers’ intention to stay in child welfare services, proposing an explanatory model that integrates organizational commitment and job burnout as mediating variables. Methodology: A systematic literature review emphasizing empirical studies published in Scopus-indexed journals (2016-2025), complemented by a comparative analysis of research conducted in the United States, China, Poland, and Nordic countries. Results: Evidence confirms that transformational leadership by directors and supervisors has a direct negative effect on turnover intention (Park, 2018; Park & Pierce, 2020). This effect operates through multiple mechanisms: strengthening organizational commitment (Rittschof & Fortunato, 2016), reducing emotional exhaustion (Yuan, 2025), and mitigating secondary traumatic stress (Park et al., 2024). Conclusions: Transformational leadership constitutes a critical protective factor against turnover in child welfare. It is recommended to incorporate transformational leadership training at all management levels and develop supervision systems that integrate these competencies
Guiding Principles for Quality, Equity and Sustainability in ImplementationResearch: Multicountry Learnings from ParticipatoryAction Research
No full textObjective: This article analyzes the application of participatory action research (PAR) principles in implementation research to strengthen health systems, proposing an expanded framework of guiding principles to ensure quality, ethical standards, and ongoing learning. Methodology: Qualitative study based on 20 interviews with co-researchers from national and sub-national levels in Liberia and Nigeria, complemented by reflexive analysis of PAR implementation in neglected tropical disease programs. Results: Five additional principles to existing PAR frameworks were identified: (1) recognize communities as units of identity and define stakeholder participation for equitable engagement; (2) enable flexible action planning that builds on existing structures; (3) address health systems and research power differentials; (4) embed relational practices that lead to new political forms of participation; and (5) develop structures for ongoing learning at multiple levels of the system. Conclusions: PAR can strengthen health systems by connecting and co-creating potentially sustainable solutions to implementation challenges. Additional research is needed to explore how these five principles can support the attainment of quality and ethical standards within implementation research (Ozano et al., 2020)
Use of Generative AI for Digital Triage: Clinical Accuracy, Risks, and Professional Acceptance
No full textThis doctoral study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (QUAN → QUAL) to investigate the integration of generative AI into digital triage systems, analyzing clinical precision, perceived risks, and professional acceptance. Quantitative results from 152 healthcare professionals and 300 standardized cases revealed that AI achieved 78.3\% overall triage accuracy, performing well on critical cases (91.2\%) but with a significantly higher rate of under-triage errors in urgent cases compared to humans. Survey data (TAM-3 model) showed moderate acceptance, heavily mediated by clinical specialty (higher among nurses), perceived risks, and trust, which was found to be conditional and gradual. Qualitative interviews with 30 participants identified transparency, human oversight protocols, and clear accountability as non-negotiable prerequisites for adoption. The triangulated findings conclude that generative AI\u27s potential in digital triage is constrained not primarily by technical accuracy, but by socio-technical and trust-related barriers. Successful integration requires an "augmented intelligence" paradigm where AI acts as a supportive tool under stringent human supervision, embedded within a robust governance framework that prioritizes patient safety and professional agency over full automation
Community Resilience and Psychosocial Well-being in Contexts ofExclusion: Intervention Strategies from Social Work with a PsychologicalPerspective in Asian Indigenous Communities
No full textIntroduction: Indigenous communities in Asia face historical processes of social exclusion that affect theirpsychosocial well-being, but simultaneously develop community resilience mechanisms based on their worldviews and cultural practices. Objective: To analyze community resilience and psychosocial well-being in indigenous communities from three Asian countries (Japan, Taiwan, and India) facing contexts of social exclusion, and to propose intervention strategies from Social Work with a psychological perspective. Methodology: Comparative qualitative study with a phenomenological approach, based on 45 semi-structured interviews with community leaders, ancestral elders, and youth from the Ainu (Japan), Tao (Taiwan), and Kondha (India) communities. Thematic content analysis was conducted with researcher triangulation. Results: Four dimensions of community resilience emerged across the three contexts: (1) spiritual connection to territory as a source of identity and well-being; (2) intergenerational transmission of ancestral knowledge through daily practices; (3) social cohesion expressed in reciprocity networks and mutual support; and (4) emerging leadership that articulates cultural resistance with demands for recognition. Discussion: The findings align with previous studies on resilience in Southeast Asian indigenous communities, which identified interconnectedness as a fundamental value, and provide a framework for understanding how these communities integrate tradition and contemporary adaptation. Conclusions: Community resilience in Asian indigenous peoples is sustained by relational worldviews that integrate territory, spirituality, and collectivity. Social Work interventions with a psychological perspective should focus on strengthening these endogenous resources through intercultural and participatory approaches
Ethical detection of undeclared AI use in academic writing in Spanish
No full textThis study investigates the ethical detection of undeclared Artificial Intelligence (AI) use in Spanish-language academic writing using a mixed-methods design. Quantitative results reveal that AI detectors have limited accuracy (85.2\%) and a high false positive rate (18.5\%), performing particularly poorly with hybrid texts (44.3\% accuracy) and showing bias against complex academic Spanish. Qualitative findings identify an "ethical trilemma": institutions face tensions between maintaining integrity, ensuring procedural justice, and preserving pedagogical trust. Document analysis shows an emerging consensus toward "regulated transparency" (56.7\% of policies), where explicit declaration of AI use is prioritized over punitive detection. The study concludes that purely technical solutions are insufficient and potentially unfair. Instead, it proposes a paradigm based on: 1) required declaration policies, 2) critical digital literacy teaching AI\u27s limits, 3) redesigning assessments toward process-based models, and 4) developing Spanish-specific detectors with algorithmic audit systems. The future of academic integrity in the AI era requires less technological surveillance and more investment in intelligent pedagogies and ethical frameworks centered on fundamental human values
Facilitative Leadership and Knowledge Management in DevelopmentNGOs: Towards a Sustainable Organizational Learning Model
No full textObjective: This article analyzes the role of the leader as a facilitator in knowledge management (KM) processes within development NGOs, proposing a conceptual framework that integrates transformational leadership with the cycles of knowledge creation and transfer. Methodology: A systematic literature review was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science databases, complemented by the analysis of documented cases in international contexts (sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America). Results: Four critical enablers for KM in NGOs were identified —leadership, trust, technological infrastructure, and organizational culture— and the facilitator-leader’s role as an articulator of these elements is described. Likewise, concrete strategies such as After Action Reviews and knowledge management systems in humanitarian contexts are documented. Conclusions: Facilitative leadership is crucial to overcoming the sector’s typical barriers (staff turnover, fragmented learning, and resource scarcity), transforming tacit knowledge into institutional assets that improve the quality of social intervention and organizational sustainability
Leadership in social work practice in Ecuador embraces strategiesfor the empowerment of rural communities
No full textThis qualitative study examines leadership in Social Work for the empowerment of rural communities inEcuador. Through a multiple case study using interviews, focus groups, and observation, "facilitative leadership"was identified as the core model. This leadership is exercised through active listening and systematic feedbackof information, prioritizing trust-building and local knowledge. The results demonstrate that empowerment isa multilevel process (individual, organizational, community) built through mediation strategies like stakeholderarticulation and the activation of endogenous leadership. It is concluded that the effectiveness of socialintervention depends on the professional’s ability to act as a facilitator, shifting the spotlight to catalyzecommunity agency and autonomy. The study underscores the need to train these competencies and designlong-term policies
Implementation of policies and programs for community social developmentin rural communities
No full textThis study analyzes the factors influencing the implementation of community social development policiesin rural areas of Latin America. Using a qualitative multiple case study design, including 78 interviews, 6focus groups, and document review across three communities, the research identifies that effectiveness doesnot primarily depend on technical or financial resources, but on relational factors. The findings demonstratethat substantive participation of the community from the design phase, institutional flexibility to adaptprograms to the local context, and effective multi-level governance are the critical determinants of success. Itis concluded that bridging the gap between design and implementation requires a shift from a technocratictransfer paradigm to one of co-construction, where the State and the community collaborate as partners. Thestudy provides a relational implementation model and recommends institutionalizing genuine participation,developing intercultural dialogue skills among public officials, and introducing margins of budgetary flexibilityin projects
Social work interventions in the health sector to promote leadershipand quality of life among the Ecuadorian population
No full textThis study assessed a Social Work intervention in healthcare, based on Popular Education principles, to fosterleadership and quality of life in the Ecuadorian population. Using a mixed-methods design (quasi-experimentalwith a control group and qualitative analysis), the "Community Health Leaders" program was implementedwith 112 participants. Quantitative results (ANCOVA) showed significant improvements with large effect sizesin community leadership (η2 = 0.29) and in quality of life domains, especially social relationships (η2 = 0.21).Qualitative data revealed these changes are explained by an identity reconfiguration (from "patient" to "healthagent") and the practice of relational leadership. The integration of findings demonstrates a synergy whereleadership acts as a catalyst for well-being, strengthening individual agency and social capital. It is concludedthat these interventions are strategic for public health, shifting from an assistance-based model to one ofcommunity development that builds more resilient and empowered communities
Pedagogical Leadership and Innovation for the Training of Social Workers in the Legal Environment.
No full textoai:ojs2.lsw.luminiseditorial.com:article/1This mixed-methods study (explanatory sequential design) analyzed the relationship between transformational educational leadership, pedagogical innovation, and the development of competencies for Social Workers in the legal environment. A quantitative phase (n=631) identified strong positive correlations between variables, with innovation being the strongest predictor of competencies. A qualitative phase with four case studies revealed that enabling leadership, is crucial to creating the ecosystem that sustains authentic innovations such as Service-Learning and simulations. These methodologies, in turn, are the direct mechanism for developing the practical and emotional competencies required in the legal field. The study concludes that quality training depends on an integrated model where leadership institutionalizes innovation, bridging the gap between academic theory and the demands of forensic practice.