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Role stressor

Role can be defined as a set of behavior that an expected of a person occupying a


particular position. Most of us play multiple roles in life for instance parent, employee, spouse
and community member and thus have multiple set of behavioral expectation (Steve M. Jex,
1998). It is have a three component of role stressor which are role ambiguity, role conflict and
role overload.

Employee in organization receives role-related information through both formal and


informal series. For example for formal series are written job description and communication
with immediate supervisor. However, the information gleaned from this information sources are
actually does not define an employee role. This is because of there are many other sources or
role related information which are subordinates, coworkers at the same level, and even
customer. The term role set is used to denote the various sources that communicate role-
related information to employee.1

Role ambiguity

Situation when role-related information is unclear is known as role ambiguity. Role


ambiguity occur when employee lack clear knowledge of what behavior is expected in their job.
In such cases, individual experience uncertainty about which action should taken in performing
job effectively ( Frank J.Lady & Jeffery M.Conte, 2004 ). It may occur because of organization
may simply be lax in revising outdated or poorly written job description, some roles are simply
more difficult to define than others and environmental change because content of many
organization role is linked to factors and events outside of become unclear (Steve J. Mex,1998).

Based research study of occupational stress experienced by department chairs in


institutions of higher education (Burn John. S & Gmelch Walter.H, 1992), it had found that
causes of role ambiguity are associated with chair feelings about the amount training, level of
responsibility and the amount the information they have about their role as chair. These
situations refer to uncertainties about their position and their responsibilities. Furthermore, it
had found that the chairs may feel uncertain, for which they may had a little training and try to
satisfy the concern of constituent groups for example alumni and community etc are also

1
Steve M. Jex, (1998), Stress and Job Performance: Theory, Research and Implication for Managerial Practice, Sage
Publications page 10.

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contribute to the role ambiguity. To brief, it is indicate that role ambiguity is one of factor that
contribute to the occupational stress.

Role conflict

Situation when role-related information provided by one member of a role set may
conflict with the information provided by another member is knows as role conflict. This is also
because demand from different source is incompatible, conflict between different tasks or
projects and conflict between organizational demand and one’s own value (Frank J.Lady &
Jeffery M.Conte, 2004). Rizzo, House, & Lirtzman (1970) define role conflict as the
incompatibility of requirements and expectations from the role, where compatibility is judged
based on a set of conditions that impact role performance.

Causes of role conflict are (1) due to the poor communication and coordination among
role senders for example in many organizations, information flow is poorly coordinated and as a
result, an employee may receive conflicting information from member of his or her role set,
(2) environmental changes; when organizational role become more complex, the role conflict
also increase, and lastly (3) characteristics inherent in a particular role. 2

Based on research ‘Role Conflict, Role Ambiguity, and Intention to Quit the
Organization: The Case of Law Enforcement Officers’ it showed that factors role ambiguity
among law enforcement officers because of the pressures of being a public servant (i.e., the
pressures from the community) versus the pressures from the local government (i.e. political
pressures) being at odds with each other. In addition, research also found that the effect of role
ambiguity causes employee want to quit him or her job. 3

2
Steve M. Jex. (1998). Stress and Job Performance: Theory, Research and Implication for Managerial Practice,
Sage Publications page 13
3
Michael Glissmeyer, James W. Bishop & R. David Fass. Role Conflict, Role Ambiguity, and Intention to Quit the
Organization: The Case of Law Enforcement Officers.

2
Role overload

Role overload is defined as a stressor that occurs when an employer may demand more
of an employee than he or she can reasonably accomplish in a given time or simply the
employee perceives the demands of works as excessive (Jones, Flynn & Kelloway, (1995). Role
overload can causes people work a long hours, increasing stress and subsequent strains. Some
workers complain that they are stressed from working 24/7 that is 24 hours a day, seven days a
week (Frank J.Lady & Jeffery M.Conte, 2004).

In 1991, 42% of employed Canadians reported high levels of role overload. This had
increased to 56% by 2001 (www.hrsdc.gc.ca, 2004). What causes of role overload? It had
found that it mainly because of emotional or physical fatigue and having too much to do for
time available. Some respondent give that “time is so tight. It seems wherever I am I should
really be somewhere else. Everything is such a rush”. Based on the situation many employee
face of role overload that cause of occupational stress.

Furthermore, other common factor employee faced role overload is organizational


downsizing. For example when organizational happen, this is could lead to understaffing thus it
will increase the role of demands those who remain in organization. Secondly, may also occur
due to the poor communication among role senders. In case of poor communication, role
demands may be compatible but taken together are excessive. Thirdly, individual skills and
abilities do not allow them to meet their role demand adequately. This is because of lack of skill
and the demands of job and many organizations do not train employees adequately for instance
training programs are either poorly designed or designed in a way that does not meet the
needs of employees. Overall, employees may be inadequately prepared to meet their role
demands.4

4
Steve M. Jex. (1998). Stress and Job Performance: Theory, Research and Implication for Managerial Practice, Sage
Publications page 14-15.

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Effect Role Stressor to the Job Performance

Figure 1: Relationship between stress and performance

Research has found that relationship between stress and job performance is u-shaped
relationship (see figure 1). This hypothesis suggests that individual performance on a given
task will be lower at high and low levels of stress and optimal at moderate levels of stress. At
moderate levels of stress, performance is likely to be improved by the presence of enough
stimulation to keep the individual vigilant and alert, but not enough to divert or absorb his
energy and focus. At low levels of stress, in contrast, activation and alertness may be too low to
foster effective performance, while at high levels of stress; arousal is too high to be conducive
to task performance.5 In other words, when the level of stress is low, the individual not been
alert and unchallengeable and therefore job performance cannot be accomplish at maximum
point. When stress is increasing, it will be stimulate individual and improve reaction ability and
consequence that the individual will be passionate to carry out his responsibility. However, job
performance decreases when it has reached the limit and this is area when employee job
performance is negative.

5
Jennifer Kavanagh, (2005), Stress and Performance: A review Literature &Its Applicability to the Military, RAND
Corporation page 14.

4
Based on ‘Impact of Job Stress on Manager’s Performance’ by Salami, A.O, Ojukuku,
R.M, & Ilesanmi, O.A had found that effect job performance on managerial performance in
Nigerian Organization is agreed that stress agreed effect their job performance. Survey had
been conduct by author and the result shows that stress give highest impact to job
performance apart from job dissatisfaction and high rate absenteeism and turnover. 6

In conclusion, role stressor does have a negative effect on performance. Based on U-


shaped relationship it indicate when task is complex to performed it may arise role stressor,
consequence is it has increase level of stress thus let to negative performance. Last and not
least, that it is clear that stress commonly has negative effect on work performance.

6
Salani, A.O, Ojukuku, R.M, Ilesanmi, O.A, (2010), Impact of Job Stress on Manager’s Performance, European
Jurnal of Scientific Research Vol.45 no.2 pp 249-260 page 252-256.

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