title: The impact of characteristics of nurses' relationships with their supervisor, engagement and trust, on performance behaviours and intent to quit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of characteristics of nurses' relationship quality with their manager on engagement and trust, onto in-role or discretionary behaviours and intent to quit.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurses having a good relationship with their manager are seen as important, yet the mechanisms of how such relationships are beneficial, or which aspects of the relationship are important, is less clear. Two possible mechanisms are through the nurse being more engaged in work, or through building their trust in their employer. In turn, engagement and trust may impact in-role and discretionary behaviours as well as staff retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  An online survey in 2013 of 459 nurses across Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Structural analyses indicated that the affect dimension of relationship quality was negatively related to engagement, whereas contribution and respect were positively related to engagement. The affect and respect aspects were positively related to trust. Engagement positively related to discretionary and in-role behaviours. Engagement and trust were negatively related to quit intention, as was the loyalty dimension of the nurses' relationship with their supervisor. However, perceptions of variability in their team's relationship quality with their leader was negatively related to trust and positively related to intent to quit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurse managers with a nuanced understanding of social exchange at work are likely to maintain more engaged, well-performing and stable nursing teams. In particular, a willingness by the supervisor to come to their nurses' defence and having a consistent standard of relationship quality across their nurses is likely to improve nurse retention.
authors: Faculty of Business, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Rodwell
authors: Faculty of Business, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: John
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6333-8987
authors: J
authors: McWilliams
authors: Centre for Workplace Leadership, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors: Andre
authors: A
authors: Gulyas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: engagement; in-role behaviour; organizational citizenship; relationship quality; social exchange; trust