Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity: Do the Scales Measure These Two Constructs?

Abstract

Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to the conflict and ambiguity scales developed by Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970). Alternative models were contrasted to evaluate the possibilities that (a) the 14 items comprising the scales do measure the two purported constructs, (b) the 14 items measure only one construct, or (c) the 14 items load complexly on a second-order factor model. The second-order factor model was superior across three independent subject samples (total n = 913), indicating that these measures do not establish role conflict and role ambiguity as two factorially independent constructs. The authors conclude that alternative scales are needed; suggestions for scale development are discussed.