ROLE-CONFLICT AND ROLE AMBIGUITY - A CRITICAL-ASSESSMENT OF CONSTRUCT-VALIDITY

This article appraises the construct validity of role conflict and role ambiguity in organizational 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.