Job Role Ambiguity Scale – JRAS
Measures employee uncertainty regarding work methods, scheduling, and performance evaluation criteria.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Job Role Ambiguity Scale – JRAS was developed by James A. Breaugh & Joseph P. Colihan (1994). It is designed to measure Job Role Ambiguity. The scale is intended for use with Employees / Working adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 9 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Work Method Ambiguity, Scheduling Ambiguity, Performance Criteria Ambiguity.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Work Method Ambiguity | 1,2,3 | 3 |
| Scheduling Ambiguity | 4,5,6 | 3 |
| Performance Criteria Ambiguity | 7,8,9 | 3 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly disagree, 4 = Neither agree nor disagree, 5 = Slightly agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly agree.
The scale includes 9 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 9 to 63. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Ambiguity (High Clarity): 9 – 27
- Moderate Ambiguity: 28 – 45
- High Ambiguity (Low Clarity): 46 – 63
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Work methods alpha: .81-.92; Scheduling alpha: .80-.91; Performance criteria alpha: .93-.97.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 3 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.