Predictors of role conflict, role ambiguity, and propensity to leave among academic department secretaries

• Main Author: Vrooman, Rona J.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: W&M ScholarWorks 1990
• Subjects: Higher Education; Labor Relations
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd/1539618659; https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1869&context=etd

The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of five factors as predictors of academic department secretaries' role conflict, role ambiguity, and propensity to leave. The five predictor variables were: (1) secretaries' decision participation level, (2) department chairpersons' communication openness, (3) department chairpersons' role conflict, (4) department chairpersons' role ambiguity, and (5) secretaries' length of service. In addition, the relationship between secretaries' report of decision participation level and preferred decision participation level as well as the relationship between secretaries' and department chairpersons' communication openness were examined.;Using the Academic Department Secretary Questionnaire, an instrument developed by the author, data was collected from 121 secretaries at five four-year public institutions in Virginia. The three research questions were analyzed using the stepwise procedure of multiple regression analysis. The two subsidiary questions were analyzed using a t-test.;Each of the five predictor variables investigated was found to be statistically significant in at least one of the multiple regression equations. Department chairpersons' communication openness was a significant factor in all three equations.;The two significant predictors of secretaries' role conflict were chairpersons' role conflict (r =.53) and chairpersons' lack of communication openness (r =.37). The three significant predictors of secretaries' role ambiguity were chairpersons' lack of communication openness (r =.52), chairpersons' role ambiguity (r =.48), and secretaries' decision participation level (r =.43). The two significant predictors of secretaries' propensity to leave were chairpersons' lack of communication openness (r =.31) and secretaries' length of service (r = {dollar}-{dollar}.25).;This study found a significant difference between secretaries' decision participation level and preferred decision level (t = {dollar}-{dollar}6.17). It did not find a significant difference between secretaries' and chairpersons' communication openness.;After presenting its findings, this study offers suggestions and strategies for reducing the negative impact of these factors.