Relational Maintenance Strategies and Satisfaction in the Stepmother–Stepdaughter Dyad

Existing research demonstrates the unique communication challenges faced within stepfamilies—particularly within the stepmother–stepdaughter dyad. This study examined the stepmother–stepdaughter relationship using Canary and Stafford’s relational maintenance strategy measure (RMSM). Specifically, researchers identified which relational maintenance strategies (RMS) are utilized by stepmothers and stepdaughters and the relationship between RMS and relational satisfaction. A sample of stepmothers ( n = 20) and stepdaughters ( n = 61) completed the RMSM and a relational satisfaction measure. Results indicate that stepmothers and stepdaughters most frequently use positivity and share task strategies, and that the openness strategy is strongly and positively related to relational satisfaction. Theoretical implications for scholars and practical implications for counselors and stepfamilies, along with areas for future research, are discussed.

Love for a Lifetime: Exploring Long-term Intense Romantic Relationships Among Filipino Couples

Despite the popular conception that romantic love follows the pattern of an early passionate stage and a later companionate one, there are reports of couples that do remain passionately in love even after a long-term relationship. This qualitative study is an initial foray into this phenomena, and describes the case of 5 opposite-sex couples including their love stories, shared activities, conflict and conflict management, relational maintenance strategies, identity change, sex as well as attitudes and evaluation of their relationship.

The Influence of the Emotional Burnout on the Relational Maintenance Strategies

The syndrome of emotional burnout is developed in people whose profession requires a lot of communication, and the effectiveness of their work depends on its quality. The aim of our study was to determine the influence of burnout on relational maintenance strategies.8 professors of università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland participated in this research. We used Maslach Burnout Inventory and The relational maintenance strategies scale. Moderate level of emotional exhaustion was detected in the majority of the participants. This condition is characterized by the urge towards finding a place to stay alone and get some rest from everything and everybody. It is accompanied by the feeling of emptiness, depression, and apathy. These indicate pronounced tiredness, disappointment, and unwillingness to work among our participants. The high level of Lack of personal accomplishments phase is being developed in all the participants. It indicates the pronounced doubts in the necessity to keep performing the work and in the fact that the work is needed and recognized by other people. We demonstrated that among the professors with burnout such strategies as conflict management, openness, assurances and positivism are the most widespread. Our data indicate that the readiness to work together on certain project or scientific problem (Openness), the willingness to support a student (Advice Giving) and the help to find necessary support outside of current academic environment (Social Networks) decreases with the development of emotional burnout. Understating the level of one's self-appraisal, observed during the development of burnout, ruins effective collaboration between professors and their PhD students, and formalizes their relationships. Thus, burnout is an important mediating variable between interpersonal aspects of work environment.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Examining the antecedents of prosocial silence: a relational perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the relational self-identity and prosocial silence in the context of the Egyptian public sector. It also examines the mediating effect of relational maintenance strategies among co-workers (RMSC) on the aforementioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a questionnaire that consists of measures adopted from existing and tested scales. A parallel mediation analysis is conducted using Sobel test for specific indirect effects in regression analysis. Findings – The findings reveal that high relational employees do not engage in prosocial silence unless they are involved in networking and shared tasks strategies. Originality/value – Prosocial silence has received limited attention despite its drastic effects in employee well-being. This study provides initial insights concerning the dynamics of social behaviours which motivate employees to avoid speaking up in order to not embarrass a workplace friend.