Power orientations and communication style of managers and nonmanagers

The purpose of this study was to compare nurse managers and nonmanagers in their orientations to power and in their communication styles. A complementary purpose was to examine the relationship between six orientations to power and social style. Forty-seven hospitals were randomly selected with 43 used for analysis. The director of nursing and a staff nurse from each hospital were asked to complete the Power Orientation Scale and to obtain ratings from others on their social style. Nurse administrators held more positive orientations to three of the six power orientations, and were perceived to communicate more assertively than staff nurses. Negative correlations were found between four of the power orientations and two dimensions of social style.