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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Identity and relationship frames in medical leadership communication

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description

PurposeA frame is an interpretive scheme of meanings that guide participants’ interpretations of social interaction and their actions in social situations (Goffman, 1974). By identifying early-career physicians’ identity and relationship frames, this study aims to produce information about socially constructed ways to interpret leadership communication in a medical context.Design/methodology/approachThe data consist of essays written by young physicians (n= 225) during their specialization training and workplace learning period. The analysis was conducted applying constructive grounded theory.FindingsThree identity and relationship frames were identified: the expertise frame, the collegial frame and the system frame. These frames arranged the meanings of being a physician in a leader-follower relationship differently.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that identity questions discussed recently in medical leadership studies can be partly answered with being aware of and understanding socially constructed and somewhat contradictory frames.