3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
73
ROLE AMBIGUITY IN ACADEMICS: AN ORGANIZATIONAL
PROBLEMATIC IN UNIVERSITIES
AMBIGÜEDAD DE ROL EN ACADÉMICOS: UNA PROBLEMÁTICA
ORGANIZACIONAL EN LAS UNIVERSIDADES
Edith Georgina Surdez Pérez
Doctora en Gestión Estratégica y Políticas de Desarrollo.
Profesor, División Académica de Ciencias Económico Administrativas. Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, (México).
E-mail: edith.2109@hotmail.com ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8731-9273
María del Carmen Sandoval Caraveo
Doctorado en Gestión Estratégica y Políticas de Desarrollo.
Profesor, División Académica de Ciencias Económico Administrativas
Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, (México).
E-mail: sandovalcaraveo29@hotmail.com ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5482-3032
Recepción:
27/09/2019
Aceptación:
03/03/2020
Publicación:
24/11/2020
Citación sugerida:
Surdez, E. G., y Sandoval, M. del C. (2020). Role ambiguity in academics: an organizational problematic in universities.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico, 9(4), 73-91. https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Note: This paper can be read in Spanish at:
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
74
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to identify the presence of role ambiguity in academics, who divide
their working hours between teaching and researching, of ve areas of knowledge in a university in
Mexico This is a study with a quantitative approach, a non-exploratory, transactional, descriptive, and
correlational design. The reliability of the instrument used was of 0.93 in Cronbach’s Alpha Coecient.
The results identied that 80.3% of the sample perceives role ambiguity more strongly on the dimensions
of `Job demands´ and `Norms´. Subsequently, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a signicant
dierence in the perception of role ambiguity on the dimension of `norms´ and the areas of knowledge.
Therefore, it is concluded that it is necessary for universities to draw attention to establishing precision
and clarity on the normativity related to teaching and researching activities, as well as providing the
adequate information regarding the institution’s expectations on job performance.
KEYWORDS
Job Demands, Normativity, University, Teacher’s Role, Performance expectations, Teaching-Researching.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
75
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
RESUMEN
El objetivo de este trabajo fue identicar la presencia de ambigüedad de rol en académicos, que dividen su tiempo laboral
entre actividades docentes y de investigación, de cinco áreas del conocimiento de una universidad de México. El estudio fue
cuantitativo de diseño no experimental transversal, descriptivo y correlacional. La conabilidad del instrumento fue de 0.93
en el coeciente Alpha de Cronbach. Los resultados señalan que el 80.3% de la muestra percibe ambigüedad de rol, con
mayor intensidad en las demandas laborales y en las normas; el análisis de varianza ANOVA mostró diferencia signicativa
en la percepción de ambigüedad con las normas y las áreas del conocimiento. Se concluye que es necesario en las universidades
poner atención cuidadosa en la precisión y claridad de la normatividad relacionada con el trabajo docente y de investigación,
así como proporcionar suciente información sobre lo que la institución espera del desempeño de una función.
PALABRAS CLAVE
Demandas Laborales, Normatividad, Universidad, Papel del Profesor, Expectativas de Desempeño, Docencia-Investigación.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
76
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
1. INTRODUCTION
Role ambiguity is produced by the lack of denition about the role that an individual has to perform in
an institution. It emerges when the eorts to acquire clarity on the role, are frustrated, and it presents
itself in general when people face dierent demands on the job and they do not have the resources
and information to attend to them (Malone, 2002; Orgambídez-Ramos, Pérez-Moreno & Borrego-Alés,
2015), thus aecting the individual’s job satisfaction and obstructing the achievement of the organizational
goals. Thereupon, the study aims to measure the existence of role ambiguity in professors of a university,
this considering that nowadays, the role of the professor is characterized by the development of multiple
activities and the fullment of various guidelines that govern their job. On one hand, their role as
academics is determined by the indicators of diverse evaluation systems, with dierent normativity and
heterogeneous requirements. The latter, a result of recent changes in public policies in terms of higher
education, which are focused on quality and productivity. On the other hand, the professor must comply
with dierent commissions, requested internally by the university, amongst these, to name a few, are:
tutorship, developing and restructuring educational programmes, activities focused on accrediting such
programmes, etc.
Regarding the evaluation systems, in Mexico, specically, the Programme for Teacher’s Professional
Development (PRODEP by its acronym in Spanish) can be mentioned as an example, for its objective
is to “professionalize the full-time teachers, in order for them to achieve the capacities of researching-
teaching, technological development and innovation, and, with social responsibility, form consolidated
academic bodies” (Secretaría de Educación Pública, 2016, par. 1). This programme demands evenness
in the performance of teaching-researching activities and academic management.
Furthermore, the Mexican National Research System (SNI), coordinated by the National Council of
Science and Technology (CONACYT), can also be mentioned, for it gives public recognition to the
“scientists and technologists that have excelled by the quality of their productivity and in the formation
of new researchers, as well as for their input in strengthening their countries’ scientic and technological
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
77
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
research” (CONACYT, 2017, p.113). To be accredited by these organisms means, for the teacher, an
academic and economic recognition, therefore they make a major eort to comply with these external
requirements.
Under those circumstances, empirical investigations are in order, with the purpose of identifying if the
faculty members, of such universities, are perceiving role ambiguity, and if so, in which environments,
and, accordingly to their sociodemographic and academic proles, in which areas there’s the most
evidence, this with the goal of contributing to the inhibition of factors and circumstances that might
be developing the problem. In the same way, role ambiguity has been measured in dierent types of
populations such as: professional soldiers, undergraduate students, public employees, business advisers
and business-administrative sta (Bernhard, 1996; Díaz-Fúnez, Pecino & Mañas, 2016; Kirk-Brown &
Wallace, 2004; Mansilla, 2011; Meliá, Zornoza, Sanz, Morte & González, 1987; Núñez & Fresatti, 2016;
Osca, González-Camino, Bardera & Peiró, 2003; Rizzo, House, & Lirtzman, 1970). Nonetheless, studies
related to role ambiguity in university professors are insucient, and these have been centred in only
one area of knowledge at a time: health (Gomley, 2005) and Social and Administrative Sciences (Surdez,
Magaña y Sandoval, 2017). Due to that, to contribute with a holistic perspective and to identify the
variability in the perception of the studied phenomenon, this study provides conclusions of an empirical
investigation that measures role ambiguity in ve areas of knowledge.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Role ambiguity is referred to as the lack of clarity towards the role that is being developed, the objectives
of the individual work, or the reach of the responsibilities (Slipak, 1996). It is the circumstance of an
individual that is conscious he or she does not have the adequate references to do their job, thus aecting
the job satisfaction and performance (De Arquer, Daza & Nogareda, 1995). It has also been dened as
the lack of information issued with clarity in regards to the performance expectations, the goals, the
duties, the authority, the responsibilities, the obligations, and many other working conditions related to
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
78
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
the performance of their role (González-Romá et al., 1995; Yun et al., 2007; quoted in Díaz-Fúnez et al.,
2016, p. 392).
Provided that investigations about role ambiguity started in the 50`s it was not until de 60’s that the
began to acquire more relevance, the studies tend to divert towards the analysis of negative results
derived from role ambiguity, results such as lack of job satisfaction, absenteeism, low productivity and
even the denite pull out of the job; nowadays, there are factors that highlight the importance of the
study in matters like group work and high indexes of job rotation (Mansilla, 2011).
According to Fisher (quoted in Nuñez and Frezatti, 2016), the ambiguity could originate when the
individual is not given enough or adequate information about 1) the relevant expectations toward the
performance of a certain function and the reach in terms of rights, duties and responsibilities; 2) the
crucial activities for the fullment of the duties for the position, as well as the steps or the best way in
order to achieve a job; 3) the consequences if a task is not fullled; 4) rewards or punishments, and the
nature of those, as well as feedback on behaviour whether it be satisfactory or not; 5) the opportunities
for promotion.
Henceforth, role ambiguity is considered a source of work-related stress, this, when discrepancy is found
between the demands and the resources, and also when multiple transitions are found in the development
of a role (Peiró, 2001). It is also considered to be “a psychosocial -risk-factor on the workplace that has
a high possibility to aect health” (Soler, Fernández-Valera & Meseguer, 2016, p. 61). In this respect,
the demands on the workplace are seen as the physical, psychological and organizational aspects which
cause stress when the employees carry out additional eorts to comply with performance expectations
(Soler, Fernández-Valera & Meseguer, 2017).
There are diverse studies regarding role ambiguity. The most renowned instrument used to measure this
problematic, according to the literature, is the one that Rizzo et al. (1970) used to identify conict and
role ambiguity and its consequences in managers of complex organisations. In the study, the authors
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
79
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
argue that role ambiguity is a variable that intervenes in an important way in organisational practices.
Accordingly, the results report that a negative correlation exists between this and work satisfaction, and
that decision-making drawbacks, distortion and suppression of information, and violations to the chain
of command are common practices related to the problem. Likewise, the problematic diminishes when
the employers provide structure and work standards; when there is an emphasis on personal development,
horizontal communication, planning, high receptivity to ideas and work-ow coordination.
In a study with nursing professors, it was noted that the sta experiencing role ambiguity considered
that their work relationships with the dean where obstructed and that this was more evident in young,
inexperienced professors (Gomley, 2005). Additionally, other authors divulge that the dysfunctional
consequences associated to role ambiguity are: augmentation in work tension and diminution in job
satisfaction (Lloret, González & Peiró, 1995); other results have pointed out that role ambiguity is a
signicant predictor of emotional weariness and is negatively associated with intrinsic work satisfaction
(Kirk-Brown & Wallace, 2004). Respectively, in a study with professional soldiers, it was found that when
the clarity of the role decreases, physical deterioration symptoms and help-searching behaviours appear
(Osca et al.,et 2003).
Furthermore, researchers detail that ambiguity on the objectives and in general policies of the organisation
causes the greatest negative eects on work satisfaction (Meliá, Zornoza, Sanz, Morte & González, 1987)
ambiguity also produces stress, depression, and lowers self-esteem, which ends up in wishes of abandoning
job positions. On the counterpart, proper and clear information and communication diminish these
types of conicts (Slipak, 1996). Other authors suggest that the environment of communication is an
important factor to control role ambiguity (Schulz & Auld, 2006). In the same way, in a study about stress
in the role of college students, it was discovered that role ambiguity was the most signicant and constant
factor in both psychological and academic results (Bernhard, 1996). These are related to skipping classes
and getting low grades.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
80
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
In contrast with previous investigations that point out the ambiguity’s negative consequences at work
and with individuals, it can be mentioned a study made on salespeople. Such study presented results that
indicate that, to a moderate level, the stressors of role, like ambiguity and conict may be stimulators for
a greater compromise in the search of improving development (Onyemah, 2008).
3. METHODS
This is a study with a quantitative approach, with a non-exploratory, transactional, descriptive and
correlational design. In it, 116 professors were selected, in a non-probabilistic way, from a total population
of 220 professors who belong to research groups on the areas of knowledge of `Agricultural Sciences´,
`Engineering and Architecture´, `Information Technology and Systems´, `Biological Sciences´ and
`Basic Sciences´ in a university in Southeast Mexico. The sociodemographic data of the sample can be
seen in Table 1.
Table 1. Sociodemographic data of the sample.
Age Gender Civil state
Job seniority
(years)
SNI PRODEP
33-43 (39.7%)
44-54 (40.5%)
55-65 (19.8%)
Men (56%)
Women (44%)
Single (20.7%)
Married (79.3%)
1-10 (21.6 %)
11-20 (43.1%)
21-30 (35.3%)
Yes (18.1%)
No (81.9%)
Yes (70.7%)
No (29.3%)
Source: prepared by the authors
3.1. INSTRUMENT
The research instrument is a two-section translation and adaptations of Rizzo et al. (1970) questionnaire,
taking into account adaptations on diverse research projects (Magaña, Sánchez & Rosas, 2009; Magaña
et al, 2009; Surdez, 2013) and the work of Surdez, Magaña & Sandoval (2017). The rst section includes
sociodemographic variables (age, gender, civil state, job seniority, accreditation to the PRODEP prole
and seniority on the SNI). Subsequently, the second section of the instrument analyses role ambiguity in
professors through four important dimensions (see Table 2).
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
81
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Tabla 2. Especicaciones de las dimensiones de ambigüedad de rol.
Dimensions Operating denition
Ambiguity in autonomy
Ambiguity in the levels of independence in decisions related
to the tasks of the job.
Ambiguity in job demanads
Ambiguity in job instructions, methods, and results associated
with the role.
Ambiguity in contributions
Ambiguity on how the job efforts contributae to the institutions’
objectives.
Ambiguity on norms
Ambiguity in the institutional guidelines related to role
performance and assessment.
Source: own elaboraton.
The questionnaire has a Likert type scale of 5 points: completely disagree (1), disagree (2), not in
agreement and not in disagreement (3), agree (4), completely agree (5). It consists of 16 phrases to
determine if the professors perceive that role ambiguity issues are taking place. By the positive sense of
the phrases, the lowest punctuation reveals stronger perceptions of role ambiguity. The instrument was
validated in a previous investigation with university professors, obtaining reliability of 0.93 on Cronbach’s
Alpha Coecient and factor loads of 0.60+ (Surdez, Magaña & Sandoval, 2017). To conrm the
reliability of the instrument with the participant professors on this study, the coherence of the items
in each dimension of the questionnaire was tested through Cronbach’s Alpha Analysis. The results of
this analysis indicate a rank of acceptable consistency for every dimension on the study: ambiguity in
autonomy (0.78), ambiguity in job demands (0.86), ambiguity in contributions (0.88), and ambiguity in
the norms (0.81). In general, the instrument’s reported reliability was of 0.93, which is an indicator of
high internal consistency (García, 2011).
3.2. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA
In the study, the data was analysed through descriptive statistics, in order to identify the levels of role
ambiguity and to determine in which dimensions it was perceived with more or with less intensity.
Subsequently, with the purpose of determining the existence of signicant statistic dierences between
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
82
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
the dimensions of ‘civil state’, ‘gender’, ‘accreditation to SNI’ and ‘accreditation to PRODEP prole’,
the Student’s t-test was used. Furthermore, the ANOVA variance analysis with Bonferroni’s post hoc test
was used to detect dierences between role ambiguity and the areas of knowledge, age and job seniority.
Lastly, to identify the relations between the dimensions of role ambiguity and both age and job seniority,
the Pearson correlation analysis was used.
4. RESULTS
The frequency distribution showed a normal distribution with a registered minimum value of 1.38 and a
maximum value of 4.94, a kurtosis of 0.605, an asymmetry of -0.864, a medium of 3.80 and a standard
deviation of 0.71. To determine the perceptions of role ambiguity in the professors, the answers given
by them were classied in four groups: on the rst group, were professors who showed lower or equal
punctuations as the percentile 25, on the second group were the professors registered above percentile 25
and below percentile 50, on the third group were those above percentile 50 and below 75, nally, in the
fourth group were the teachers above percentile 75. Moreover, 27% of the sample presents a high level
of role ambiguity, 26% a moderate level, 27.3% a low level and a 19.7% does not present role ambiguity,
therefore, 80.3% of the sample perceives a certain amount of role ambiguity on the dimensions which
were analysed (see Table 3).
Table 3. Levels of role ambiguity, range of values (1-5 scale).
Levels of role ambiguity Percentile Percentile %
High 25 Values ≤ 3.38 27
Moderate 50 3.39-3.94 26
Low 75 3.95-4.35 27.3
No ambiguity 100 Values ≥ 4.36 19.7
Source: own elaboration.
To determine the dimensions in which there was greater role ambiguity, and statistic-descriptive
analysis was carried out, nding that the greatest role ambiguity is on job demands and on the norms.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
83
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Subsequently, the lowest role ambiguity was found on the autonomy (see Table 4).
Table 4. Descriptive analysis of the dimensions of the variable role ambiguity.
Dimensions N Minimum Maximum Medium S.D
Ambiguity in autonomy 116 1.75 5 4.14 0.73
Ambiguity in job demands 116 1 5 3.46 0.90
Ambiguity in contributions 116 1 5 4.09 0.88
Ambiguity in the norms 116 1 5 3.55 0.85
Not valid (by list) 116
Source: own elaboration.
With the purpose of determining the existence of signicant dierences between the dimension of role
ambiguity in relation to the civil state, gender, accreditation to the SNI and to PRODEP, the Student
t-test was used (see Tables 5 and 6).
Table 5. Differences of mediums on the dimensions of role ambiguity in relation to the civil state.
Dimensions Civil state N Medium E.D. t Sig.
Ambiguity in autonomy
Single 24 4.16 0.85
0.18 0.75
Married 92 4.13 0.71
Ambiguity in job demands
Single 24 3.57 0.78
0.86 0.28
Married 92 3.42 0.93
Ambiguity in contributions
Single 24 4.00 0.80
-0.46 0.56
Married 92 4.11 0.90
Ambiguity in the norms
Single 24 3.52 0.59
-0.10 0.02*
Married 92 3.56 0.90
Note: *p≤ 0.05
Source: own elaboration.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
84
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Table 6. Differences of mediums on the dimensions of role ambiguity in relation to gender.
Dimensions Gender N Medium E.D. t Sig.
Ambiguity in autonomy
Man 65 4.18 0.67
0.72 0.29
Woman 51 4.08 0.81
Ambiguity in job demands
Man 65 3.46 0.90
0.01 0.79
Woman 51 3.46 0.90
Ambiguity in contributions
Man 65 4.07 0.84
-0.21 0.32
Woman 51 4.11 0.93
Ambiguity in the norms
Man 65 3.53 0.95
-0.40 0.03*
Woman 51 3.59 0.70
Note: *p≤ 0.05
Source: own elaboration.
In Table 6, it can be observed that a signicant statistic dierence can be found, in the perceptions of the
teachers, in gender on the dimension `ambiguity in the norms´, this result indicates that men perceive
more role ambiguity than women. The t-test did not show signicant dierences between role ambiguity
with professors who belong to the SNI and with professors who are accredited by the PRODEP prole.
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) signalled a signicant dierence between perception of ambiguity
in the norms and the areas of knowledge (see Table 7), in this case, the post-hoc test of Bonferroni
specically indicated that the dierences in the mediums are found between Agricultural Sciences and
Basic Sciences, under those circumstances, the professors of the latter were found to perceive the most
ambiguity. On the contrary, no dierences in the perception of role ambiguity were found with the
sociodemographic data of age and job seniority.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
85
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Table 7. Differences of mediums on the dimensions of role ambiguity in relation to areas of knowledge.
Dimensiones Áreas del conocimiento N Medium E.D. Mín. Max. F Sig.
Ambiguity in
autonomy
Agricultural Sciences 23 4.03 0.87 2 5
0.25 0.91
Engineering and Architecture 16 4.08 0.73 1.75 5
Information Technology and
Systems
26 4.17 0.72 1.75 5
Biological Sciences 28 4.22 0.69 2 5
Basic Sciences 23 4.15 0.68 2.25 5
Total 116 4.14 0.73 1.75 5
Ambiguity in job
demands
Agricultural Sciences 23 3.49 1.03 1.25 5
1.58 0.18
Engineering and Architecture 16 3.61 0.80 2 4.75
Information Technology and
Systems
26 3.70 0.72 1.75 4.75
Biological Sciences 28 3.41 0.90 1 5
Basic Sciences 23 3.10 0.95 1 4.25
Total 116 3.46 0.90 1 5
Ambiguity in
contributions
Agricultural Sciences 23 4.30 0.76 2 5
2.20 0.07
Engineering and Architecture 16 4.28 0.69 2.5 5
Information Technology and
Systems
26 4.04 0.78 2.75 5
Biological Sciences 28 4.21 0.95 1 5
Basic Sciences 23 3.65 1.01 1.5 5
Total 116 4.09 0.88 1 5
Ambigüedad con
las normas
Agricultural Sciences 23 3.90 0.78 2.5 5
2.74 0.03*
Engineering and Architecture 16 3.73 0.82 2 4.75
Information Technology and
Systems
26 3.58 0.89 1.75 5
Biological Sciences 28 3.48 0.82 1 4.5
Basic Sciences 23 3.14 0.78 1 4.5
Total 116 3.55 0.85 1 5
Note: *p≤ 0.05
Source: own elaboration.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
86
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
The Pearson correlation analysis determined a positive yet weak correlation (0.188) between the
dimension of ambiguity in autonomy and the job seniority, which indicates that the professors with more
seniority perceive more ambiguity in the indicated dimension (see Table 8).
Table 8. Correlation of the dimensions of role ambiguity in relation to age of the professor and job seniority.
Dimensions
Ambiguity in
autonomy
Ambiguity in
job demands
Ambiguity in
contributions
Ambiguity in
the norms
Age Seniority
Ambiguity in
autonomy
1 .620** .560** .438** 0.151 .188*
Ambiguity in job
demands
1 .658** .761** 0.068 0.107
Ambiguity in
contributions
1 .716** 0.126 0.144
Ambiguity in the
norms
1 0.120 0.13
Age 1 .658**
Seniority 1
** The correlation is signicant in the level 0.01
* The correlation is signicant in the level 0.05
Source: own elaboration.
5. CONCLUSIONS
The frequency analysis presented evidence that over half the sample perceives role ambiguity in a high-to-
moderate level, a situation which requires attention, for, as shown before, the problem of role ambiguity
may conduce to the increase of job tension, the decrease of job satisfaction and to psychosocial risk
factors (Kirk-Brown & Wallace, 2004; Osca, et al., 2003; Soler, Fernández-Valera & Meseguer, 2016).
The descriptive analysis to identify in which dimensions role ambiguity is perceived the most, it was
observed that there is more role ambiguity in both job demands and norms, this shows that there is not
enough nor adequate information about what is expected in regards to performance of a function, which
is one of the causes of Role Ambiguity that Fisher (quoted in Nuñez and Frezatti, 2016) points out.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
87
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Because of this, it is recommendable to consider the results of studies that argue that an environment
of communication and enough information contributes to controlling role ambiguity (Schulz & Auld,
2006; Bernhard, 1996).
Ultimately, the t-test did not show dierences between the dimensions of ambiguity in autonomy, Job
demands, and contribution, in relation to the civil state. Nonetheless, the analysis reports signicant
statistic dierences between these sociodemographic variables and the dimension of ambiguity in the
norms, denoting that single professors perceive more ambiguity than the married professors. This test
also revealed dierences between the gender of the professors and the dimension of ambiguity in the
norms, in which men perceive more role ambiguity than the women, thus, a new line of investigation to
assess the dimension on a gender perspective is suggested.
On the counterpart, no statistic dierences were found between the dimensions and the fact that the
professors belong to the PRODEP prole or are members of the SNI, this demonstrates that professors
with these acknowledgments perceive role ambiguity in a similar manner. At the same time, no
dierences were found with the areas of knowledge and the dimensions of autonomy, job demands,
and contributions, which means that the professors of all ve areas perceive role ambiguity similarly in
those dimensions. The dierences were only found in the dimension of the norms, between Agricultural
and Basic Sciences, revealing that the perception of ambiguity is not the same between the professors of
such areas in the matters of objectives and guidelines. This presents a research opportunity in order to
investigate the causes of it.
Furthermore, a weak correlation between ambiguity in autonomy and job seniority was proven,
expressing that the professors with more years working for the university are the ones who perceive more
ambiguity in this dimension. However, because the correlation is very low, this result is not determinant.
Given these points, it is suggested that actions that allow the clarication of where the professors are
to direct their academic eorts, to achieve institutional goals, are implemented universities. It is also
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
88
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
imperative to ensure that the professor perceives, in a precise and adequate form, the normativity that
guides the teaching and researching practices.
In short, it is concluded that organizations must value studies about role ambiguity and correlate them
with studies about work satisfaction, stress, sta rotation, and emotional weariness. Despite, the ndings
in this investigation, the results do have limitations because of its transversal design of descriptive
correlational type, which makes impossible an analysis to identify causal relationships between the
variables of the study. In the same way, the results reect the conditions of role ambiguity of the studied
sample, and this factor should be considered when analysing other populations.
REFERENCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS
Bernhard, E. (1996). Gender dierences in role stress: Role ambiguity, conict and overload during the college transition.
Northwestern University.
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). (2017). Reglamento del Sistema Nacional
de Investigadores. Diario Ocial de la Federación, pp. 105-118. https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/
index.php/el-conacyt/sistema-nacional-de-investigadores/marco-legal/reglamento-sni/13493-
reglamento-sni/le
De Arquer, M. I., Daza, F. M., y Nogareda, C. (1995). Ambigüedad y conicto de rol. Notas Técnicas de
Prevención edición electrónica (NTP-e 388). https://www.insst.es/documents/94886/326827/
ntp_388.pdf/33bd683f-a191-43b6-bab4-766ba19a9ba8
Díaz-Fúnez, P.A., Pecino, V., y Mañas, M.A. (2016). Ambigüedad de rol, satisfacción laboral y
ciudadanía organizacional en el sector público: un estudio de mediación multinivel. Revista de
Psicología, 34(2), 387-412. https://doi.org/10.18800/psico.201602.007
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
89
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
García, C. H. (2011). La medición en las ciencias sociales y en la psicología, En R. Landero y M. T.
González, Estadística con SPSS y metodología de la investigación (pp.139-166). Editorial Trillas.
Gomley, D. K. (2005). Organizational climate, role ambiguity, role conict and nurse faculty work role balance:
Inuence on organizational commitment and turnover intention (Doctoral Dissertation). Universidad de
Cincinnati, OH.
Kirk-Brown A., y Wallace, D. (2004). Predicting burnout and job satisfaction in workplace counselors:
the inuence of role stressors, job challenge, and organizational knowledge. Journal of Employment
Counseling, 41(1), 29-37.
Lloret, S., González V., y Peiró J. M. (1995). El estrés de rol en enfermeras un modelo causal.
Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 48(3), 393-405. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/
articulo?codigo=2161481
Magaña, D. E., Rosas, J. A, Lamoyi, C. L., Aguilar, N., Surdez, E. G., Sandoval, M. C., y
Guzmán, C. (2009). Factores organizacionales relacionados al síndrome de desgaste emocional en los cuerpos
académicos de la Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco. (Primer Informe de investigación-CONACYT-
SECTORIAL00000000080973). Tabasco, México
Magaña, D. E., Sánchez, P., y Rosas, J. A. (2009). Síndrome de desgaste emocional y su relación con el conicto
y ambigüedad de rol en el profesor investigador de la Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (Informe de
investigación nal-PROMEP 20080783). Tabasco, México
Malone, R. J. (2002). Tenure-track faculty socialization: the presence and eects of role ambiguity role, role conict and
role overload (Tesis Doctoral). ProQuest.
Mansilla, F. (2011). Consecuencias del estrés de rol. Medicina y seguridad del trabajo, 57 (225), 361-370.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0465-546X2011000400010
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
90
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Meliá, J. L., Zornoza, A., Sanz, M. J., Morte, M. P., y González, V. (1987). La incidencia de los
factores del conicto de rol y de la ambigüedad de rol sobre los factores de la satisfacción laboral
[The incidence of role conict factors and role ambiguity factors in job satisfaction factors].
En Proceedings of Segundo Congreso Nacional de Evaluación Psicológica, Madrid, 287. https://www.
uv.es/~meliajl/Papers/1987_Melia_Factores.pdf
Nuñez, M., y Frezatti, F. (2016). Role Conict, role ambiguity and job satisfaction; Perceptions of the
Brazilian controllers. Revista de Administração-RAUSP, 51(2), 165-181. https://doi.org/10.5700/
rausp1232
Onyemah, V. (2008). Role Ambiguity, Role Conict, and Performance: Empirical Evidence of an
Inverted U Relationship. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, XXVIII (3), 299–313. https://
doi.org/10.2753/PSS0885-3134280306
Orgambídez-Ramos, A., Pérez-Moreno, P. J., y Borrego-Alés, Y. (2015). Estrés de rol y
satisfacción laboral: examinando el papel mediador del engagement en el trabajo. Journal of Work
and Organizational Psychology, 31, 69-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rpto.2015.04.001
Osca, A., González-Camino, G., Bardera, P., y Peiró, J.M. (2003). Estrés de rol y su inuencia
sobre el bienestar psíquico y físico en soldados profesionales. Psicothema 15(1), 54-57. http://www.
psicothema.com/pdf/1022.pdf
Peiró, J.M. (2001). El estrés laboral: Una perspectiva individual y colectiva. Seguridad y Salud en el trabajo,
13, 18-38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/39174637_El_estres_laboral_Una_
perspectiva_individual_y_colectiva
Rizzo, J., House, R., y Lirtzman, S. (1970). Role conict and ambiguity in complex organizations.
Administrative Science Quarterly, 15(2), 150-164.
3C Empresa. Investigación y pensamiento crítico. ISSN: 2254-3376 Ed. 44 Vol. 9 N.º 4 Noviembre 2020 - Febrero 2021
91
https://doi.org/10.17993/3cemp.2020.090444.73-91.eng
Schulz, J., y Auld, C. (2006). Perceptions of role ambiguity by chairpersons and executive directors
Queensland sporting organizations. Sport Management Review, 9, 183-201.
Secretaría de Educación Pública. (2016). Reglas de operación del Programa para el Desarrollo del
Personal Docente (PRODEP). Diario Ocial de la Federación. http://www.dgesu.ses.sep.gob.
mx/Documentos/DSA%20gobmx/PDF/Reconocimiento%20a%20Profesores%20de%20
Tiempo%20Completo%20con%20Perl%20Deseable..pdf
Slipak, O. E. (1996). Estrés Laboral. ALCMEON, 4. https://www.alcmeon.com.ar/5/19/a19_03.htm
Soler, M. I., Fernández-Valera, M. M., y Meseguer, M. (2016). El papel moderador de la resiliencia
entre situaciones de demandas de rol laboral y de malestar autopercibido. Revista Mexicana de
Psicología, 33(1), 61-70. http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/2430/243056043007.pdf
Soler, M. I., Fernández-Valera, M. M., y Meseguer, M. (2017). El papel mediador de la autoecacia
profesional entre situaciones de demandas de rol y salud autopercibida. Escritos de Psicología, 10(3),
151-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.5231/psy.writ.2017.1511
Surdez, E. G. (2013). Conicto y ambigüedad de rol en profesores investigadores de cuerpos académicos: el caso de la
Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (Tesis Doctoral). Universidad del Mayab, Mérida Yucatán,
México.
Surdez, E. G., Magaña, D. E., y Sandoval, M. del C. (2017). Evidencias de ambigüedad de rol en
profesores universitarios. Revista Electrónica de Investigación Educativa, 19(1), 73-83. http://dx.doi.
org/10.24320/redie.2017.19.1.889
