Role Ambiguity

Role ambiguity, or the extent to which one's work responsibilities and degree of authority are unclear, is one of the most widely studied variables in the field of occupational stress. Because it represents a subjective judgment of one's work situation, role ambiguity is typically assessed using employees' self-reports. Some researchers refer to role ambiguity by its polar opposite, role clarity.

Employees who experience role ambiguity feel uncertainty about which behaviors are and are not appropriate. They may wonder, for example, whether they are engaging in inappropriate work behaviors. On the other hand, they may wonder whether they are failing to engage in appropriate work behaviors. Most employees find both of these situations distressful.

Much of the research on occupational stress has focused on identifying work stressors; role ambiguity and a related variable, called role conflict (i.e., the extent to which an employee faces incompatible work demands), are the most commonly studied stressors. A stressor is any aspect of the work environment that requires an employee to adapt and has the potential to cause poor health. In addition to role ambiguity, other stressors include having a heavy workload or being mistreated by a supervisor. The negative health consequences produced by a stressor, such as depression, anxiety, or physical symptoms, are called strains.

Role theory provides the theoretical basis for the study of role ambiguity. According to role theory, each employee has a unique set of rights and responsibilities within the organization. Formal roles are the set of official behaviors that employees perform as part of their job description and are maintained by organizational policies. The formal role of a teacher, for example, includes grading tests and assigning homework. In addition, informal roles develop as part of the everyday social dynamic of the organization. Although these roles are not enforced by written policies, they are maintained by informal social interactions. For teachers, for example, informal roles might include planning and organizing staff parties. Role ambiguity is generally operationalized as uncertainty concerning formal roles.