Staying Engaged in Unclear Roles: How Savvy and Belonging Sustain Extra Effort

What is it about?

This study examines how role ambiguity—uncertainty about job duties—reduces employees’ willingness to engage in organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, it argues that unclear expectations drain energy and motivation, limiting extra-role effort. However, two personal resources—political skill and organizational identification—can buffer this effect by helping employees preserve or restore their psychological energy. Using data from 173 employees in a Mexican manufacturing firm, the findings show that role ambiguity significantly lowers OCB. Yet this negative effect weakens when employees are politically skilled—that is, socially perceptive and capable of navigating organizational dynamics to secure support and clarity. Such employees maintain their discretionary effort even amid uncertainty. Similarly, employees with strong organizational identification—those who feel connected to and proud of their organization—remain motivated to contribute voluntarily, viewing their efforts as extensions of collective success. These two resources also reinforce each other: politically skilled employees who identify strongly with their organization are particularly resilient to ambiguity. Their combination of social awareness and emotional attachment sustains energy and initiative under unclear conditions. The study highlights that OCB depends not only on role clarity but also on employees’ personal ability and motivation to manage ambiguity constructively.

Featured Image

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study is unique in integrating two personal resources—political skill and organizational identification—to explain how employees sustain organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) under stress. Grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, it shows that socially skilled and emotionally attached employees stay engaged and proactive despite uncertainty. By revealing how social competence and emotional belonging work together as a “resource caravan,” the study refines understanding of how resource combinations prevent depletion and sustain OCB. The study is timely amid rapid organizational change and rising uncertainty in modern workplaces. In settings marked by ambiguity, employees’ ability to navigate relationships while staying connected to their employer is vital. Conducted in Mexico, a culture high in collectivism and uncertainty avoidance, the findings show that social intelligence and loyalty jointly buffer stress and ambiguity. Leaders can foster both connection and competence to keep employees resilient, engaged, and aligned with organizational goals.