Thinking styles as moderators of role stressor‐job satisfaction relationships

Abstract

Describes the moderation of role stress, specified by role ambiguity, conflict and overload, and job satisfaction by thinking styles. Individuals capable of successfully employing specific styles were successful in reducing the deletrious effects of role stress on job satisfaction. Principal findings included the moderation of the role ambiguity‐job satisfaction relationship by the global style; the role overload‐job satisfaction relationship by the hierarchic style and the judicial style acting jointly with task significance; role conflict due to conflicting requests by the hierarchic style with task identity and task significance; and role conflict from incompatible standards of evaluation by a liberal style with job autonomy and a judicial style with task significance. Discusses both theoretical and practical implications.