| Summary: | M.Com. ( Industrial Psychology and People Management) === Life role salience reflects the importance and value individuals ascribe to the roles central to their lives and identities. As such, life role salience has meaningful implications for a variety of individual as well as organisational outcomes. Prior to this study no life role salience measures had been developed or validated within the South African context. This is problematic because the use of valid measuring instruments is regarded as a prerequisite for reporting research findings, especially when unobservable constructs are measured through the use of subjective questionnaires. The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of a life role salience scale within the South African context. Specifically, the Life Role Salience Scale (LRSS) developed by Amatea, Cross, Clark, and Bobby in 1986 was examined to determine its validity and reliability using a South African sample. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using a sample of South African working adults (n=300) from the Gauteng province. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were applied as statistical methods. CFA failed to confirm the original eight-factor structure of the LRSS. Subsequent exploratory factor analyses indicated superior fit of a five-factor version of the scale. Limitations and recommendations for future research are presented. The findings of this study highlight the importance of instrument validation and adaptation prior to application in different cultural contexts.
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