The Multiple Dimensions of Role Ambiguity and Their Impact Upon Psychological and Behavioral Outcomes of Industrial Salespeople

Abstract

Role ambiguity is often thought to be a pervasive aspect of boundary spanning and sales positions in marketing. Surprisingly, few studies have examined how various types or dimensions of role ambiguity impact the salespersons' psychological (e.g., job satisfaction, tension and commitment) and behavioral (e.g., performance and turnover) outcomes. Because proper intervention begins with an accurate assessment, the purpose of this paper is to measure the various types of role ambiguities experienced by industrial salespeople and to examine their relative effects on psychological and behavioral job outcomes. Specifically, we demonstrate how multidimensional role ambiguity can pinpoint specific dimensions of ambiguity that are dysfunctional to the salesperson and organization. The results underscore the managerial and theoretical insights obtained from utilizing a multidimensional view of role ambiguity as part of a broader survey for examining the dysfunctional effects of role ambiguity dimensions in sales organizations.