Promoting Role Breadth Self-Efficacy Through Involvement, Work Redesign and Training

Abstract

This article examines the influence of organizational practices on role breadth self-efficacy (RBSE); a person’s confidence in performing proactive, interpersonal tasks that go beyond traditional boundaries. A longitudinal study showed that increased task control, membership of an active improvement group, and breadth of training were associated with increased RBSE. Providing a stronger basis for causal inference, membership of active improvement groups at Time 1 also had a positive lagged effect on later RBSE. These findings support the proposition that RBSE can be enhanced via organizational intervention. The study also showed that, after controlling for greater involvement, job enlargement had a negative lagged effect on RBSE. This suggests the potential detrimental consequences of enlarging jobs without also expanding employees’ autonomy and influence.