Moderating Influences on Role Perception — Outcome Relationships in Black South African Workers

Abstract

Afrikaans

Possible effects of role perceptions on work-related outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction and involvement) are investigated. In addition, the mediating role of need for clarity, work-manifest need for achievement (n Ach) and need for autonomy (n Aut) as possible moderators of these relationships is assessed. The heterogeneous sample consisted of 110 adequately literate urban Black workers (M age = 31 years; M years of education = 11,4). Of these, a more homogeneous subsample of 55 clerks (M age = 32 years; M years of education = 10,9) was analysed separately. Results indicated that only the role perception-job satisfaction relationship was significant. Significant interaction effects were invariably sample bound, mostly accounting for small amounts of variance. The sometimes unexpected direction of these relationships generated some alternative explanations, but greater support was found for the treatment of n Ach, n Aut, and the need for clarity as independent predictor variables in the regression analyses.

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