The research paper is focused on job satisfaction vs stress level. With modern technological tools, stress is inevitable irrespective of Job performance. Role conflict and Role ambiguity can be minimised by active mentoring and continuous improvement in communication and timely intervention based on performance and leading the managers for self actualisation. Here  updating and equipping with ICT tools and training for IPR will proactively control stress , job satisfaction, recognition and performance.

Dear Sundara,

Thanks for sharing such an important question. As we all acknowledge and studies have also provided evidence that workplace stress is negatively correlated to productivity and job satisfaction. Surprisingly, I just found another article published based on managerial work stress and conflicts in Singapore.

http://rphrm.curtin.edu.au/1994/issue1/role.html

I quote a very important findings from this article in relationship to tolerance, conflict and  workplace ambiguity.

As with past studies (eg Kahn et a?, 1964; Keenan & McBain, 1979), the present study provided some support for the influence of tolerance of ambiguity as a moderator between role ambiguity and work stress. If in fact tolerance of ambiguity does influence the amount of work stress experienced when role ambiguity is high, then this has implications for the workplace. We may be able to select people who are high in tolerance for ambiguity for jobs where role ambiguity is a major factor. Further, in designing stress management programmes, we might be able to include training to increase one’s level of tolerance for ambiguous situations. This might be especially important at the present time for Singaporean managers as more and more of them are being encouraged to venture out into newly opening markets in China and Vietnam, for example, where their roles may be less clear cut than ever.

Dear Sundarapandian, I think that to reduce role conflict  every job should have a job description that does not intersect with other jobs.

There is always a difference between the PERCEIVED ROLE and the EXPECTED ROLE, which create the ROLE AMBIGUITY.

Role conflict is superimposed by the stringent Standards and Service Level Agreements.

I agree, there is always a difference between perceived role and expected role. There are many dimensions influencing this. One is the personal attitude towards engagement and decision making of those involved. If people have different working style *and* overlapping responsibilities *and* overlapping ambitions - there will be a conflict and stress. As soon as people work in teams there is always role ambiguity for other reasons also - for example dealing with *exceptions* in decision making. The informal leadership and social agreements within the team makes a big difference when it comes to stress levels of individual members. This is about collaboration, willingness to share decision making (trust) and also personal awareness of self limitations. Priority settings within teams influences. When complex problem situations are dealt with - contextual judgement by team members can often be divergent and so compromises are likely - the question is how this is handled and perceived. A good way to study this issue would be to look at research in family therapy - within families there are always decision making situations which are not equally optimal for all involved. Even simple things are influenced by who is *allowed* to dominate any decision in context (if the self assumed decision maker is not allowed to dominate the family will drift apart and be dysfunctional), The interactions between individuals can be complex, sometimes decisions are distributed according to type and sometimes decision making is distributed according to context (such as time and space etc) sometimes decision making is distributed on turn (such as this project is run by A and the next is run by B etc). In crisis the roles can be changed - either by agreement *or* by 'force' - e.g. A takes over a project from B because A judges that the project is derailing and disqualifies B from further 'control' (e.g. disqalification).

Role conflict and role ambiguity are not the same thing. Role ambiguity does not necessarily lead to role conflict. In my view an effective organization *must* have role ambiguity or the staff will not be supported to thrive and push the organization towards excellence. Without role ambiguity individual members are not supported in making truly contextually judged decisions based on their knowledge and overall competences. Thus as a consequence the most engaged employees could not realize their ambitions to do a really good job without role ambiguity and so the stress levels of the best people would become higher (compared to not having role ambiguity). Role ambiguity also allows good collaborating team-members to complement other members efforts as part of their own ambitions.

I would shift the discussion in looking at the two concepts in different era of management thinking. Both 'Role conflict' and 'Role ambiguity' are described as negative in Scientific Management era as they would lead to stress and later burnout.

Somehow in Modern Management. stress itself is perceived to be positive (up to certain extend) and should be push to the limit where optimum level or productivity  could be achieved.

In versatile worker and multi-tasking approach of Strategic HRM particularly in relation to Talent management, the two concepts are the least consideration where they are to be perceived as challenges rather than hindrances.

Dear @Sundar, very good notion about GAP between the PERCEIVED ROLE and the EXPECTED ROLE, which create the ROLE AMBIGUITY! (@Krishnan).I do believe it is very true! Fine research paper related to your thread is "Impact of role ambiguity and role conflict on employee creativity"- first link. I have insisted on this research paper because of fact that "...Survey data from 202 employees ofTaiwanese companies reveal not only a direct and negative link between role ambiguity and creativity,but also a direct and positive link between role conflict and creativity..."

http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380719286_Tang%20and%20Chang.pdf

http://www.academia.edu/4857769/The_Influence_of_Role_Conflict_and_Role_Ambiguity_on_The_Employees_Performance_Through_Commitment_and_Self-_Efficacy_Study_on_the_Nurses_at_Public_Health_Service_Center_of

In general, it could be concluded that employees who receive intensive socialization programs tend to perceive low role ambiguity and role conflict, and at the same time, those who perceive low role ambiguity and role conflict tend to have higher level of organization commitment.

I think role conflict and ambiguity could be solve through making a clear job description for each employee.

Top Management in any organization should have the responsibility to inform and aware the staff about employee roles and how this role complete each other to reach the main objectives.

Regards

With regard to the discussion on 'role ambiguity', especially the detailed answer by our friend, Peter M. Bednard, I like to share some excerpts of an exchange with Stephen R. Covey on delegation (see attached link for full conversation):

Chris: Do you believe that delegation is one of the most misunderstood and abused areas of leadership?

Covey:  "Absolutely. There are so many entrepreneurs out there who are talented, capable and make things happen, but they don’t know how to delegate. It’s sad because the great strength of delegation is that we can accomplish so much more. It allows us to multiply ourselves and increase leverage to grow our businesses beyond our own individual capacities."

"It does take some trust to be able to delegate, and that trust needs to be wisely placed. If we delegate responsibilities to people who aren’t capable of handling them, the outcome may not turn out the way we want it."

"When you give trust in the form of delegation, it’s amazing how people respond. They’ll rise to the occasion. It brings out the best in people, and they perform well."

http://www.daveramsey.com/article/giving-it-up-stephen-covey-discusses-delegation/lifeandmoney_business/

A POSITION -ROLE CLARITY model evolved through Organization development intervention in Indian Industries such as Godrej,  Pepsi, Nippo Batteries, IOCL, Khivraj motors, Nelcast, AOD, Regma Ceramics, Dr.Reddys etc.,

Data Occupation (Position-Role) Questionnaire

Generalization hurts, and oppositely, individualism helps to pinpoint the uniqueness of every single member of any organization. As a result, the sense of being importance and usefulness releases the maintenance- doze of endorphin is needed for relaxation and positivity in among any group.