Abstract
Roles, important structural components in groups, delineate group members' jobs and responsibilities. Through this division of labour, group members must function interdependently to achieve shared group outcomes. A critical perception that individuals hold regarding their role is the degree to which incongruent expectations are present (i.e., role conflict). This perception is divided into several dimensions: intra-sender conflict, inter-sender conflict, person-role conflict, and inter-role conflict. Previous research has demonstrated that role conflict can negatively affect individual- and group-level variables (e.g., other role perceptions, task cohesion). However, two limitations pervade this research. First, role conflict is generally assessed unidimensionally. Second, the dimensions of role conflict focus on one individual's role and do not reflect additional interpersonal factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the multidimensional effects of role conflict on role clarity, role efficacy, and task cohesion. Furthermore, an interpersonal aspect of role conflict (i.e., inter-individual role conflict) was proposed and explored. Participants (N = 107, Mage = 21.37) completed questionnaires at two time points, approximately three weeks apart. Multiple regressions determined which role conflict dimensions were predictive of the outcome variables. Results demonstrated person-role conflict (? = -.47 to -.22) and inter-sender conflict (? = .30) negatively predicted role clarity. Additionally, inter-individual role conflict was shown to negatively predict role clarity (? = -.30), role efficacy (? = -.25), and task cohesion (? = -.21). These results partially support a priori hypotheses and the notion that role conflict is a negative aspect of group dynamics in sport.
