6675

www.ccsenet.org/ass

Asian Social Science

Vol. 7, No. 2; February 2011

Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity as Factors in Work Stress among
Managers: A Case Study of Manufacturing Sector in Pakistan
Nanik Ram
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics, University of Sindh, Pakistan
Dr. Immamuddin Khoso
Assistant Professor
IBA- University of Sindh, Pakistan
Asif Ali Shah
Assistant Professor
Department of Commerce, Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, Pakistan
Fayaz Raza Chandio
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Economics, SALU-Khairpur, Pakistan
Faiz. M. Shaikih
Assistat Professor
SZABAC-Dokri-, Sindh, Pakistan
E-mail: [e-mail]
Abstract
The current research explores the role of ambiguity as factors in stress among the managers in manufacturing industry of Pakistan. The subject of stress at work has been thoroughly investigated in Western countries, particularly the Pakistan. Very little work has been carried out in South Asia. Pakistan has developed very rapidly into a centre place in South Asia and business centre. Thus, it is probable that managers and workers experience stress as much as their Western counterparts. The data were collected from 100 manufacturing industries workers by using simple random technique. The present research study found that role conflict and role ambiguity were positively and significantly related to work stress among Pakistani managers and work stress was negatively and significantly related to job satisfaction. Two personality variables were chosen as moderator variables, but only one, tolerance of ambiguity showed moderating effects. Locus of control failed to moderate the stressor stress and stress response relationships. Overall, this study demonstrates that stress at work does exist for a sample of Pakistani managers and that the antecedents of this stress all roles related. The paper used data from a cross-sectional survey. To capture the long-term trends, dynamics and manager’s involvement and stress within and

References: Baths, N. (1980). Job involvement and locus of control as moderators of role-perception/individual outcome relationships Brayfield, A. and Rothe, H. (1951). An index of job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 35, pp. Budner, S. (1962). Intolerance of ambiguity as a personality variable. Journal of Personality, 30, pp. 29—50. Cooper, C. and Arbose, J. (1984). Executive stress goes global. International Management, May, pp. 22—28. Cordes, C. and Dougherty, T. (1993). A review and an integration of research on job burnout. Academy of Management Review, 18, pp Fang, Y. and Baba, V. (1993). Stress and turnover intention: A comparative study among nurses. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 34, pp Fisher, C. and Gitelson, R. (1983). A meta-analysis of role conflict and ambiguity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, pp Hamner, W. and Tosi, H. (1974). Relationship of role conflict and role ambiguity to job involvement measures. Haviovic, S. and Keenan, A. (1991). Coping with work stress: The influence of individual differences. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6, pp House, R., and Rizzo, J. (1972). Role conflict and role ambiguity as critical variables in a model of behavior. Ivancevich, J. and Donnelly, J. (1974). A study of role clarity and need for clarity for three occupational groups. Ivancevich, J. and Matteson, M. (1980). Stress at Work. Scott, Foresnian, Glenview, Illinois. Ivancevich, J., Matteson, M., Freedman, S. and Philips, J. (1990). Worksite stress management interventions. Jackson, S. and Schuler, R. (1985). A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings Jenner, 1. (1986). A measure of chronic organizational stress. Psychological Reports, 58, pp. 543—546. Johnson, T. and Stinson, J. (1975). Role ambiguity, role conflict and satisfaction: Moderating effects of individual differences Kahn, R., Wolfe, D., Quinn, R., Snoeck, J. and Rosenthal, R. (1964). Organizational Stress: Studies in Conflict and Ambiguity Keenan, A. and McBain, C. (1979). Effects of Type A behavior, intolerance of ambiguity and locus of control on the relationship or role stress and work-related outcomes Lefcourt, H. (1966). Internal vs. external control of reinforcement: A review. Psychological Bulletin, 65, pp. Lyons, T. (1971). Role clarity, need for clarity, satisfaction, tension and withdrawal. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 6, pp Matteson, M. and Ivancevich, J. (1987). Controlling Work Stress. JosseyBass, San Francisco. Miles, R. and Petty, M. (1975). Relationship between role clarity, need for clarity and job tension and satisfaction for supervisory and non- supervisory roles Organ, D. and Greene, C. (1974). Role ambiguity, locus of control and work satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59, pp Rizzo, J., House, R. and Lirtzman, S. (1970). Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations. Rotter, J. (1966). generalized expectancies for internal or external control of reinforcement. Psychological Monographs, 80, whole # 609. Schuler, R., Aldag, R. and Brief, A. (1979). Role conflict and ambiguity: A scale analysis. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 20, pp 108 Baths, 1980