Cited by 302Job Satisfaction and Organizational BehaviorManagement and Organizational StudiesTeam Dynamics and Performance

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Role conflict and role ambiguity: A critical assessment of construct validity.

King, Lynda A., King, Daniel W.·1990·Psychological Bulletin

DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.107.1.48

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Abstract

This article appraises the construct validity of role conflict and role ambiguity in organizationa l psychology research by tracing the process of validation from initial theory introduction to the present. Although the theoretical bases for the constructs were relatively well explicated, some conceptual shortcomings have carried over into empirical work. There are problems with the content validity of measures, a lack of convergent and discriminant evidence, and inattention to the full nomological network of hypothesized relationships. Recommendations for future role-conflict and role-ambiguity research are offered. Since their incorporation into the organizational psychology literature in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the role-theory constructs of role conflict and role ambiguity have assumed a prominent position in empirical work. In recent years they have been the focus of three major literature reviews (Fisher & Gitelson, 1983; S. E. Jackson & Schuler, 1985; Van Sell, Brief, & Schuler, 1981), two of which used a meta-analytic approach (Hunter, Schmidt, & Jackson, 1982; Schmidt & Hunter, 1977; Schmidt, Hunter, Pearlman, & Shane, 1979). Although documenting significant correlations between these two role constructs and a variety of other work-related variables, all three reviews lamented, to a greater or lesser degree, inconsistencies in reported study findings. Extrapolating from the three reviews, a primary explanation offered for inconsistent results seems to be that…

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LibRA
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Mcneilly, K. M., & Russ, F. A. (1992) · Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management · doi:10.1080/08853134.1992.10753894 · Cited by 50
The Effects of Personal Need for Structure and Occupational Identity in the Role Stress Process
Elovainio, M. J., & Mika Kivimaki, B. (2001) · The Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1080/00224540109600558 · Cited by 46
DEVELOPMENT OF A MEASURE OF ROLE CONFLICT
Pandey, S., & Kumar, E. S. (1997) · International Journal of Conflict Management · doi:10.1108/eb022795 · Cited by 48
Daily relationships between customer incivility, organizational control, self-efficacy, and service performance
Hur, W., Shin, Y., & Shin, G. (2022) · Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services · doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103092 · Cited by 54
Positive and Negative Effects of Team Stressors on Job Satisfaction and New Product Performance*
Escudero, A. I. R., Carbonell, P., & Alemán, J. L. M. (2010) · Journal of Product Innovation Management · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5885.2010.00756.x · Cited by 46
“Finally, Rizzo et al.’s (1970) role ambiguity and role conflict scale, which have dominated the literature about role stressors, could have problems with content validity (King and King, 1990).”
Background
External performance barriers in business networks: uncertainty, ambiguity, and conflict
Geersbro, J., & Ritter, T. (2010) · Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing · doi:10.1108/08858621011027786 · Cited by 42
Job Stress-Social Support Buffering Effects Across Gender, Education and Occupational Groups in a Municipal Workforce
Dunseath, J., Beehr, T., & King, D. (1995) · Review of Public Personnel Administration · doi:10.1177/0734371x9501500105 · Cited by 42
Self-citation
Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) and Frontline Employees’ Service-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Foodservice Context: Exploring the Moderating Role of Work Status
Cha, J., & Borchgrevink, C. P. (2017) · International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration · doi:10.1080/15256480.2017.1324337 · Cited by 45
“King and King (1990) criticized Rizzo et al. (1970)’s scale as having a lack of correspondence between items and the specific content domains.”
Background
Perceived self-competence, stepfamily myths, and (step)parent role ambiguity in adolescents from stepfather and stepmother families.
Fine, M. A., Kurdek, L., & Hennigen, L. (1992) · doi:10.1037/0893-3200.6.1.69 · Cited by 37
Type A Behavior, Its Prevalence and Consequences Among Women Nurses: An Empirical Examination
Jamal, M., & Baba, V. V. (1991) · Human Relations · doi:10.1177/001872679104401105 · Cited by 29
How to Facilitate Innovative Behavior and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Evidence From Public Employees in Korea
Cho, Y. J., & Song, H. J. (2020) · Public Personnel Management · doi:10.1177/0091026020977571 · Cited by 56
“522 Public Personnel Management 50(4) Kahn et al. (1964), Rizzo et al. (1970), and King and King (1990).”
Background
What about the employees in entrepreneurial firms? A multi-level analysis of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, role ambiguity, and social support
Andersén, J. (2017) · International Small Business Journal Researching Entrepreneurship · doi:10.1177/0266242617690797 · Cited by 41
“Hence, whereas other stressors might have some elements that can affect job performance positively, role ambiguity will strongly reduce job performance (Fried et al., 1998; King and King, 1990).”
Background
Psychological Safety in Agile Software Development Teams: Work Design Antecedents and Performance Consequences
Buvik, M. P., & Tkalich, A. (2022) · Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) · doi:10.24251/hicss.2022.880 · Cited by 47
“Role clarity was measured with five items on the original six-item scale developed by [11].”
BackgroundMethod
Structural Impacts on Formation of Self-Efficacy and Its Performance Effects
Mustafa, G., Glavee-Geo, R., Grønhaug, K., & Almazrouei, H. S. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11030860 · Cited by 46

Authors: King, L. A., & King, D. W.
Affiliations: Central Michigan University (US)
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 1990-01
Volume: 107
Issue: 1
Pages: 48-64
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.107.1.48
OpenAlex: W2147503805
Cited by: 302
References: 68
Citations by year: 2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 10
FWCI: 19.82
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Team Dynamics and Performance
Keywords: role conflict, role ambiguity, construct validity, role theory, content validity, convergent and discriminant validity, nomological network, self-report measures, psychometric properties, organizational psychology

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Role conflict and role ambiguity: A critical assessment of construct validity.

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