A test of antecedents and outcomes of employee role negotiation ability

Abstract

While role negotiation is theorized to serve critical functions in employee role development, researchers have generally focused on role outcomes (e.g., role innovation) rather than the conditions that foster role negotiation or how employees negotiate their roles. This investigation examines conditions leading to employee perceptions of their ability to negotiate their roles and the outcomes of this perception. Results of structural equation analyses indicate that the communication relationship (openness, work facilitation) with their supervisor was associated with perceptions of role negotiation ability. Results also indicate that the perceived ability to role negotiate predicted reduced role conflict and increased job satisfaction, but was unrelated to role ambiguity. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are suggested.