Message design logic, social support, and mixed‐status relationships

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between superiors' and subordinates' message design logic types and reported amounts of relational social support, trust, discussion of innovation, personal control, expected performance ratings, and burnout. We sought to determine whether relational patterns in design logics exist enabling the identification and prediction of mixed‐status relationships where social support is enhanced. Findings obtained from a voluntary sample of nurses suggest that those relationships where the nurse‐manager employs a “rhetorical” message design logic and the staff nurse does not report the highest levels of relational support, trust, talk on innovation, personal control, expected positive performance rating, and lowest levels of burnout result.