"Great expectations": A no-conflict explanation of role conflict

Abstract

Matched the role expectations of 887 industrial managers to perceived and actual expectations held for Ss by their immediate superiors by administering a questionnaire to both pairs. Results show that when all variance was considered, subjective differences appeared to be more strongly related than objective differences to feelings of job satisfaction, perceptions of higher management, and job-related success. When the differences were explored by assessing variable mean effects first and cross-products next, almost all the variance came directly from the manager's perception of the superior's expectations. It is suggested that what is called role conflict may be explained by 1 or 2 simple components rather than a higher order function of those components. (24 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)