SUPERVISORS ROLE-CONFLICT AND ROLE AMBIGUITY DIFFERENTIAL RELATIONS WITH PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF SUBORDINATES AND THE MODERATING EFFECT OF SCREENING ABILITY

Survey data obtained from two independent samples of supervisors (Ns = 68 and 109) supported the prediction that supervisors' experience of role conflict would correlate positively with their reported tendency to deliberately inflate subordinates' performance ratings. Contrary to expectation, in neither sample did supervisors' screening ability eme rge as a moderator of the relation between role conflict and rating in flation. In a third independent sample of supervisors (N = 25), in whi ch rating inflation was operationalized on the basis of actual perform ance ratings of subordinates, strong support was obtained for both the predicted positive association between role conflict and rating infla tion as well as the predicted moderating effect of screening ability o n this relation. By contrast, the authors did not anticipate that supe rvisors' experience of role ambiguity would be directly associated wit h, or interact with screening ability to predict, rating inflation. Th e data from all three samples were, in general, in line with these exp ectations.