Role Theory Perspective Research Articles

Who handles the tough talk? Supervisor sense of power and confronting difficult issues

AbstractAddressing difficult, controversial, or sensitive issues with employees is a critical component of effective leadership, but discussing uncomfortable topics with subordinates can be daunting, even for those with structural power. Distinguishing between the structural power that supervisors hold, and their situationally felt personal sense of power, we consider here how a supervisor's personal sense of power relates to his or her inclination to confront, or to avoid, difficult conversations, as well as to offer social support in such contexts. Integrating a social role theory perspective, we further consider the role of gender. Across an initial study (N = 588), and a follow‐up replication study (N = 567), we show that personal sense of power predicts supervisor's inclination to confront (and not to avoid) difficult issues in the workplace, as well as to offer social support to the target of conversation. We also consider whether such effects vary across male and female supervisors, finding inconsistent results across studies. In Study 1a, we found that power had less of an effect on the avoidance and support intentions of women than men, such that women (but not men) were more likely to constructively confront the difficult issue head on as well as to offer support, even when they felt low in personal power. These effects did not emerge in Study 1b. However, in both studies, we find a main effect of gender on social support such that women were more likely to provide social support when confronting difficult issues. We speculate about reasons for this inconsistency, and further theorize about the role of personal sense of power and gender in explaining supervisor's engagement in difficult conversations.

From vocation to profession: multiple identities of Chinese management academics

The academic landscape in China has undergone a profound transformation, shifting from a spiritually rooted vocation to a model driven by managerial efficiency, catalyzed by market reforms that dismantled the traditional, centrally planned system. This seismic shift has forced scholars to adapt to a performance-oriented environment, leading to significant transformations in their professional identities. Contemporary literature, primarily centered on Western role-theory perspectives, often fails to capture the intricate cognitive dynamics that shape academic identities under the varied influence of power dimensions. This study addresses this gap by exploring how Chinese academics’ identities are constructed amidst a complex interplay of power dynamics, external changes, and internal motivations, moving beyond simplistic group-level categorizations. Employing an intersectional approach within a multidimensional organizational power framework, this research utilizes case study methods to probe deeply into the multiple identities of academics in the Business Management discipline across various Chinese higher education institutions. The study reveals a dynamic interplay among multiple power dimensions, including American research hegemony, industrialization of academic governance, self-regulation, and rebellion against ‘academic games’. These forces collectively shape distinct identity modules among Chinese academics: fanatic convert of American research, career survivor, diligent game player, and career retreater, each responding uniquely to the evolving academic pressures. This research significantly enhances our understanding of academic identity construction by extending beyond traditional role-based analyses to encompass a broader spectrum of cognitive processes. It highlights the nuanced intersectionality of academic identities, effectively integrating structuralist perspectives with personal agency. This comprehensive examination provides critical insights into the development of Management disciplines, university governance, and professional practices within the academic community in China.

Exploring the career challenges of female tour guides in the Sri Lankan travel and tourism industry: Social Role Theory perspective

This paper aims to understand what barriers have resulted in the poor representation of female tour guides in the Sri Lankan travel and tourism industry. The study's design employed a qualitative approach to gain in-depth insights into the experiences of female tour guides, utilising thematic analysis as the analytical strategy. Three main themes emerged from the qualitative research findings of the interviewed female national tour guides: the feminine gender identity of female tour guides, the gender role of women, and gender stereotypes. Firstly, the feminine gender identity of female tour guides presents how femininity contradicts the tour guide's occupational role in the Sri Lankan context. Secondly, gender stereotypes prevalent in familial, work, and broader societal spheres hinder the success of female tour guides in their careers. Finally, socially constructed gender roles impose additional obstacles for women pursuing careers as tour guides. Consequently, these constraints impede women's fulfilment of their social role, creating a challenging atmosphere to be a female tour guide in Sri Lanka. This research suggested that it is the responsibility of government bodies to ensure equal opportunities for females to take up the tour guide occupation.

Expatriates’ boundary-spanning: double-edged effects in multinational enterprises

AbstractExpatriates typically perform boundary-spanning to address challenges related to functional, linguistic, and cultural variations within multinational enterprises (MNEs), which in turn influences their relationships with host-country employees. Integrating social capital and role theory perspectives, this study explores the relational dynamics between expatriates and host-country employees by developing a novel theoretical framework that examines the double-edged effects of expatriates’ boundary-spanning. We propose that expatriates’ boundary-spanning nurtures mutual trust between expatriates and host-country employees, further facilitating expatriates’ identification with subsidiaries and host-country employees’ identification with MNEs. On the other hand, we propose that boundary-spanning increases expatriates’ role stressors, causing expatriates’ emotional exhaustion and outgroup categorization by host-country employees. We further categorize expatriates’ boundary-spanning into three types (functional, linguistic, and cultural) and theorize about their varying effects on the cognitive and affective bases of mutual trust and on role stressors. With data from 177 expatriate–host-country coworker dyads in Chinese MNEs, our double-edged framework is generally supported. Our findings suggest that cultural boundary-spanning exhibits the strongest double-edged effect, while functional boundary-spanning shows asymmetric effects, with negative outcomes surpassing positive ones, and linguistic boundary-spanning demonstrates the weakest effect. This study offers realistic and comprehensive insights into expatriates’ boundary-spanning, particularly in expatriate–host-country employee relationships.

Social roles in emerging adulthood. Results of a nationwide study

The article attempts to present emerging adulthood, i.e. experiences during the transition from adolescence to full adult status from the perspective of the social role theory. The empirical basis is survey research carried out on a random, nationwide sample of people aged 18-29 (n=303), stratified by gender and size of the town. The aim of the analysis is to answer questions about identification with roles, and changing the complexity of roles depending on age, gender, and self-identification with the status of an adult. The results indicate that in the period of emerging adulthood, the professional role becomes particularly important, and the set of roles related to the status of an adult overshadows the roles typical of adolescence. In addition, it has been shown that women identify with more roles than men and more often include the parental role and the role of wife/partner in the set of roles.

Responsible Leadership with Chinese Characteristics

AbstractResponsible leadership (RL) has become a buzz word in the current lexicon of business and politics, but there is still limited agreement on the components, scope, and characteristics. The confusion is rooted, in part, in the dominance of normative perspectives that take RL as a universal phenomenon. However, embedded in a specific culture, RL cannot be understood fully without understanding the moral traditions of that culture. In this article, we used a case study method to explore how RL is understood and practiced in China. Taking the role theory perspective, we conducted in-depth interviews with 9 highly regarded responsible executive leaders and 92 stakeholders in and outside of their companies who were well acquainted with the leaders. Our findings reveal that in China, the moral character of leaders guides them to define and take responsibility for themselves, their employees, companies, and external stakeholders. The five dimensions of RL we identified and the relationships among the dimensions include characteristics that reflect Chinese culture, such as strong sentiment for the nation, self-discipline, developing employees philosophically, and ‘jun zi wu ben’ (a gentleman should focus on fundamental matters). We conclude by discussing the implications of our study for RL research and practice.

To lead or not? The role theory perspective on the moderating roles of transformational and laissez-faire leadership in shared leadership teams

To lead or not? The role theory perspective on the moderating roles of transformational and laissez-faire leadership in shared leadership teams

İŞ/AILE SINIR TEORISI VEYA İŞ-YAŞAM YAYILIMI TEORISI: İŞTEN AYRILMA NIYETINE DAIR META-ANALITIK BIR YAKLAŞIM

The main purpose of this study was to compare the work/family border theory to work-life spillover theory in an organizational role theory and attribution theory perspective. This study also aimed to list the work-family interface variables and the variables regarding organizational roles by using a meta-analytical review technique. 89 suitable studies were found. The effect sizes of work-family balance on turnover intention is nonsignificant, the effect size of work-life balance, work interfering with familyand family interfering with work on turnover intention was small, and the effect size of the rest of the relationships were medium. The findings supported work-life spillover theory, but not work/family border theory. Type of industry was a significant moderator for the relationship between role conflict and turnover intention. The results of this meta-analysis can be used by the managers to determine organizational policies.

Role Theory in Practice: US–Turkey Relations in Their Worst Decade

Abstract Academic and policy debates on alliances are yet to incorporate insights from foreign policy analysis (FPA) literature. Generally, bilateral relations between allies are either analyzed with insights from traditional IR theories (such as realism) or with policy-oriented work that does not engage any scholarly literature (focusing on only the day-to-day issues of international politics). I argue that FPA theories that make linkages between scholarly work and policy-oriented questions in an evidence-based and analytical fashion are capable of accounting for the most significant policy questions of modern international politics. This article analyzes US–Turkey relations in, arguably, their worst decade, with a role theoretic outlook. I claim that despite being close political and military allies since the 1940s, US–Turkey bilateral relations are witnessing their worst decade since the Arab uprisings in the MENA, due mostly to ideational factors that shape foreign policy. The conflictual relations originate from a change in US and Turkish foreign policy-makers’ role conceptualizations vis-à-vis their countries’ roles in the MENA region after the Arab uprisings and the role conflict this has caused with one another. Misaligned interests during the Arab uprisings, especially after 2014 in the Syrian civil war, have exacerbated the bilateral ties further. Drawing insights from elite interviews conducted in Turkey (2014–2016), Washington DC, and Ankara (2018–2020), I explain the sources of conflict in US–Turkey relations with a role theory perspective and offer policy prescriptions in conclusion.

Antecedents of public‐sector auditors’ economic error communication: Evidence from Germany

AbstractTraditionally, public‐sector auditors are concerned with auditing the legality and regularity of government activities (compliance audits). However, such auditors are increasingly expected to conduct “performance audits” and communicate economic errors due to inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and poor economic decisions to the auditee. This type of role change is often accompanied by role stress. This study explores whether role stress—role conflict and role ambiguity—among local public‐sector auditors and their perception of their new business partner role are precursors of their communication of detected economic errors to their auditees. Therefore, survey data from German local public sector auditors (i.e., municipalities and counties) are gathered and analyzed. Our results show that compare to those in other organizations, auditors who work in more formalized public‐sector audit organizations are less likely to experience role ambiguity and role conflict and to communicate auditees’ economic errors more actively. Furthermore, we find that auditors who do not experience role ambiguity find it easier to see themselves as a business partner of the auditee and show more active economic error communication. The present study informs the literature on performance auditing by transferring the business partner concept to the context of public‐sector auditing and applying a role theory perspective to reveal drivers of economic error communication.

Coworker Injustices and Their Delegated Authority: Developing an Indirect Actor Model of Supervisor Justice

Supervisors directly influence employees’ perceptions of supervisor justice and subsequent supervisor-supportive behaviors by displaying just treatment through ongoing work interactions. Using a two-study design, we build on this target similarity approach by examining the potential for an indirect actor to be held accountable when a direct offender is acting on the indirect actor's behalf. Integrating fairness and role theory perspectives, Study 1 shows that the relationship between coworker injustice and supervisor-supportive citizenship behavior is mediated by supervisor blame and supervisor justice. Further, these linkages are strengthened when the offending coworker is delegated additional authority by the supervisor. Delegation more clearly connects the supervisor to the coworker's unjust behavior because the coworker is seen as an intermediary for the supervisor (i.e., perceived intermediary delegation-PID). In a constructive replication, Study 2's results support the basic mediation model from Study 1 but also show that the PID effect is influenced by victims’ relative standing with the supervisor compared with their offending coworkers (i.e., relative status). PID's strengthening effect as a result is most pronounced when victims of coworker injustice hold lower relative statuses than offenders. We conclude with implications of our findings and areas for future research.

Mid-day supervisors in English primary schools: a role theory perspective

ABSTRACT This paper presents the findings of a multi-site case study focused on the role of mid-day supervisors in English primary schools. Ethnographic approaches were employed to gain an understanding of the role and how this is experienced by those who undertake it. This included a fully participatory phase where the researcher inhabited the role of a mid-day supervisor. Ethnographic interviews were also conducted. The research found that role strain, caused by a range of factors, as well as whether the role was legitimised or marginalised, had a significant impact on how the role was enacted and experienced by mid-day supervisors.

Not Always Helpful: Linking Intrateam Helping Types to Team Effectiveness From a Role Theory Perspective

Existing research on intrateam helping has predominantly taken a positive view on its impact on teams, overlooking the potential negative consequences that helping may elicit. To account for divergent implications of intrateam helping, we differentiate two types of helping that can manifest during teamwork: team autonomous helping and team dependent helping. Integrating this dual-type view of helping with a role theory perspective on teamwork, we propose a theoretical model that delineates the relationships among team goal orientations, two types of intrateam helping, team role-based functions (i.e., team role overload, team role coordination, and team role breadth self-efficacy), and team effectiveness. To test our model, we conducted two multi-wave survey studies, including 110 student project teams (Study 1) and 80 manufacturing teams in a pharmaceutical company (Study 2). Overall, the results showed that team autonomous helping benefited team role-based functions and ultimately team effectiveness, whereas team dependent helping hindered them. We also found that team learning goal orientation drove the occurrence of team autonomous helping in both studies, while team performance goal orientation drove team dependent helping in Study 1. By distinguishing between autonomous and dependent types of intrateam helping, and examining their unique motivational roots and divergent implications for teams, this research advances the extant literature by providing a more balanced account of the nature of helping in teams.

Parents and Group Music Lessons: A Role Theory Perspective for Music Teacher Educators

This collective case study aimed to explore the various expected roles for parents of preschool children in group music lessons in the Klang Valley of West Malaysia, the area located around Kuala Lumpur. We collected data by conducting two semi-structured interviews with 10 parents and three teachers of three preschool group music classes. Four broad themes emerged. Participants viewed parents as playing the roles of supporters, practice supervisors, role models, and consumers. We propose that a flexible understanding of role is essential in crafting meaningful relationships between parents and teachers and suggest the approaches that might assist future music educators to develop such a perception.

Leader–member exchange congruence and feedback seeking behavior: a role theory perspective

PurposeWhile studying the association between leader–member exchange (LMX) quality and employee work outcomes, the existing scholarship has generally focused on employee perspectives of LMX quality. Being more inclusive, this study utilizes role theory to incorporate the dyadic (in)congruence in LMX quality and their effects on ratee feedback seeking behavior.Design/methodology/approachData elicited from N = 156 matched rater–ratee dyads comprising engineers working with telecommunication organizations of Pakistan. Purposive sampling was done to ensure that rater–ratee dyads were in continuous contact by their customized employee portals.FindingsResults of polynomial regression analysis revealed that leader–member congruence in their perceptions of LMX quality enhanced member's feedback seeking behavior. Asymmetrical incongruence, i.e. the member perceived higher LMX quality than the leader, is found to predict member's feedback seeking behavior, even higher than both levels of congruence (high- and low-quality LMX).Research limitations/implicationsThe scope of this study was members' reactions to performance appraisal. However, other performance appraisal outcomes are plausible such as, leader performance. This study explored the objective incongruence, yet subjective congruence can be more conclusive about the results of the present study.Practical implicationsLMX incongruence is more detrimental to members in high interaction situations. When the member perceives lower quality LMX than the leader, expectations regarding resource exchanges and behaviors are more likely to be unfulfilled for the member. Feedback seeking behavior being a member related outcome is likely to be affected more negatively in such conditions of incongruence. Second, it is likely that when there is a high degree of incongruence among the dyads, LMX congruence may become more critical to the members which in turn may give them a sense of belongingness within the dyad. Third, the relationship between leader–member dyads is affected by the social interactions facilitating the members' opinion sharing.Originality/valueThe study suggests that to fully grasp the implications of LMX theory, we need to consider the viewpoints of both the dyadic members at the same time.

Supporter or Supervisor? The Role of Chief Financial Officers in Corporate Innovation

Like the chief executive officer (CEO), the chief financial officer (CFO) is an important corporate player. However, compared to the role of CEOs, research on the factors influencing corporate innovation has paid very little attention to the role of CFOs. Based on the perspective of role theory, we measure CFO role performance by organizational identification to explore the role of CFOs in corporate innovation. Employing the availability of CFO organizational identification data from a survey of listed firms in China, we find that: (1) CFO organizational identification is negatively associated with innovation output in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and positively associated with innovation output in non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs); (2) corporate misconduct experience positively moderates the relationship between CFO organizational identification and innovation in SOEs; (3) CFO financial industry experience positively moderates the relationship between CFO organizational identification and innovation in non-SOEs. Our results show that CFOs play the supervisor role in innovation in SOEs and the supporter role in innovation in non-SOEs. Our research provides theoretical and practical references for companies to sustainably drive innovation.

Robotic role theory: an integrative review of human–robot service interaction to advance role theory in the age of social robots

PurposeSocial robots increasingly adopt service roles in the marketplace. While service research is beginning to unravel the implications for theory and practice, other scientific disciplines have amassed a wealth of empirical data of robots assuming such service roles. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize these findings from a role theory perspective with the aim of advancing role theory for human–robot service interaction (HRSI).Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of more than 10,000 articles revealed 149 empirical HRSI-related papers across scientific disciplines. The respective articles are analyzed employing qualitative content analysis through the lens of role theory.FindingsThis review develops an organizing structure of the HRSI literature across disciplines, delineates implications for role theory development in the age of social robots, and advances robotic role theory by providing an overarching framework and corresponding propositions. Finally, this review introduces avenues for future research.Originality/valueThis study pioneers a comprehensive review of empirical HRSI literature across disciplines adopting the lens of role theory. The study structures the body of HRSI literature, adapts traditional and derives novel propositions for role theory (i.e. robotic role theory), and delineates promising future research opportunities.

The Application of Rehabilitation Therapy Occupational Competency Evaluation Model in the Improvement of College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

This paper constructs an evaluation model of occupational competency in rehabilitation therapy and applies it to the improvement of college students' innovative and entrepreneurial competencies. Based on clarifying the connotation of college students' entrepreneurial competency, this study carries out research on the evaluation system of college students' entrepreneurial competency. First, the method of qualitative research is used to conduct in-depth interviews with college students and entrepreneurial mentors to understand the views of these groups on college students' entrepreneurial competency, and the coding of the interview contents is carried out by applying the rooting theory, and finally, a theoretical model of the composition of college students' entrepreneurial competency is derived. The front-line position of talent cultivation is the construction of faculty, because the faculty with high-quality vocational ability is an indispensable prerequisite for the development of universities, and the teaching level of the faculty is the key factor for the effectiveness of teaching to appear. Based on the perspective of role theory, we analyze the problems and reasons for the lack of competency in the role-playing process; integrate the three stages of understanding the role, playing the role, and adjusting the role with the competency model; and propose strategies to improve the competency of youth social workers in the process of playing the role, to help workers accurately understand the role, correctly play the role, and reasonably adjust the role. The curriculum is designed to cultivate the competency of college student nursing positions, which is conducive to improving the professional quality of college student nursing service providers and regulating college student nursing practice so that they can actively respond to problems. This will strengthen the entire teaching faculty and enhance the professional competence of full-time teachers.

What does it mean to be the main caregiver to a terminally ill family member in Lithuania?: A qualitative study

Family caregivers are a great resource for providing dignified end-of-life care for terminally ill patients. Framed from the perspective of role theory and the relational nature of providing and receiving care, study objectives were as follows: (1) to capture caregivers' understanding of the process of taking on the role of main caregiver, (2) to conceptualize their understanding of the functions that they assume while being the main caregivers, and (3) to understand how they experienced the consequences they confronted. The research team employed the methodological strategy of descriptive thematic analysis using a semi-structured interview guide. The sample consisting of 33 family caregivers was recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling strategies in 2020. Interview data was analyzed using content-driven inductive thematic analysis. The data analysis revealed four main themes that structure the process of becoming the main care giver of a terminally ill family member and the meaning of the caregiver role: (1) inaccessibility and mistrust of public care services for persons with terminal illness, (2) moral obligations and responsibilities of immediate family and friends, (3) cultural traditions, (4) the caregiver feels responsible for everything. The themes describe the social role of family caregiver in social context, address the process of taking on the role of caregiver and living with systemic corruption. Recognition of caregiving experiences is essential in planning better systems, in direct practice and in confronting corruption. The study suggests the need for open communication, accessibility of quality services, and the recognition of caregivers as care-team members. The larger implication is that the increasing numbers of distressed caregivers and aging populations can be considered as public health populations, and thus addressable through public health methods.

How and When Perceptions of Top Management Bottom-Line Mentality Inhibit Supervisors’ Servant Leadership Behavior

Extending existing bottom-line mentality (BLM) perspectives, we provide a new theoretical account of how supervisors’ perceptions of top management BLM influence supervisors’ servant leadership (SL) behavior. Using role theory, we propose that these perceptions inhibit supervisors’ SL behavior by reducing their SL role conceptualization or the extent to which supervisors consider SL part of their work responsibility. Further, given that the process underlying the relationship between perceived top management BLM and supervisor SL behavior may be explained by social learning theory and human adaptive capacity perspectives, we examine the incremental validity of supervisor SL role conceptualization versus supervisor BLM and empathy as mediating mechanisms. We also propose low perspective-taking among supervisors as a boundary condition that exacerbates the negative effect of perceived top management BLM on SL role conceptualization, which then results in less servant leader behavior. Data from two multiwave field studies in China and the United Kingdom provided some support for our hypotheses. Across unique cultural contexts, our findings highlight the value of a role theory perspective in understanding perceptions of top management BLM. We discuss critical theoretical and practical implications of these findings and avenues for subsequent research.