Role Ambiguity at Work: How to Clarify Roles and Responsibilities
- Dr. Jeff Doolittle
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Ambiguity is no longer an occasional condition of work; it is now embedded in how most organizations operate. Yet the greatest risk is not uncertainty itself, but the persistence of ambiguity in roles, priorities, and decision-making authority. When expectations are unclear, organizations do not simply slow down—they fragment. Accountability diffuses, priorities diverge, and effort increases without corresponding impact.
Role ambiguity is one of the most preventable sources of organizational strain. When individuals are unclear about what they own, how success is evaluated, or whose decisions take precedence, stress rises, and performance degrades. Whether being asked to do more with less or reporting to a new leader, when employees feel unsure how to prioritize their work, it increases stress. Evidence from a global study by Gallup revealed that 49% of leaders and 42% of non-managers are struggling with anxiety at work. This is not a resilience failure on the part of employees; it is an architectural failure in how work is designed and governed. Without a reliable mechanism for clarifying roles and responsibilities, ambiguity compounds quietly, increasing execution risk and avoidable error across the business.
The costly effects of not dealing with workplace ambiguity
As the world changes, businesses and individuals must change too. Organizational changes increase the opportunity for role ambiguity and workplace stress.
Role ambiguity is described as one employee's understanding of their job or organizational objectives being different from another's, leading to an unproductive workplace conflict or wasted efforts. Poor communications, unclear policies, or a general lack of workplace relationships are typical sources of role ambiguity.
Several studies have demonstrated that role ambiguity has significant negative personal and workplace results. One such study within the Big Four Public Accounting Firms showed that organizational role ambiguity led to:
decreased performance
increased work stress
increased employee turnover
In this study, role ambiguity significantly increased anxiety and physical and psychological stress at an individual level. Role ambiguity increases non-productive conflict and employee burnout even when a team has good working relationships.
How to deal with ambiguity
A RACI matrix is a simple and powerful tool for effectively dealing with role ambiguity. I have used this tool at the organization, team, and individual levels, enhancing role clarity, improved workload balance, and improved decision-making.
RACI is an acronym for responsible, accountable, consult with, and informed. Each letter represents the roles and degree of involvement for a given organizational role or task:
Responsible: Who is ultimately responsible for doing the task?
Accountable: Who is the decision-maker accountable for ensuring that the job is successfully completed?
Consult with: Who needs to know the details and requirements so they can provide meaningful input to the task
Informed: Who needs to be kept aware of task updates?
An essential part of organizational consulting is helping individuals and teams gain clarity during change and dealing with role ambiguity created by the changes. Applying a RACI template to a given change initiative is not intended to replace a robust change management plan. Instead, this tool raises awareness and understanding to support change.
4 Steps to create a powerful RACI Matrix
Here are four steps to creating a RACI matrix for dealing with role ambiguity.
RACI Creation Step 1: Select a team
As with most initiatives, selecting the right team members to be involved is essential to creating the most value. A critical quality step is to engage those closest to the work in creating the RACI. Additionally, you will want to include the manager and potentially the executive sponsor for the role.
RACI Creation Step 2: Identify tasks associated with the target role
Start with a high-level outline. A job description can be a good starting point. Then, go back and break down the tasks into subtasks. For example, you could argue that an essential task for a knowledge worker is to turn on their computer. However, is it worthwhile to clarify who is responsible for this activity? This likely goes without saying. Getting too granular too early in creating the RACI can paralyze the team and overcomplicate the work.
RACI Creation Step 3: Align groups and individuals with RACI designations
Review each task and identify the individual or group associated with each RACI designation. At this step, there will likely be differences of opinion. It is crucial to surface these differences and pursue consensus. A common cause of the differences can come from differences of opinion on what is meant by definitions such as responsible vs. accountable. To help the team work through the differences, it is a good practice to write down the definitions and have them available to the team.
RACI Creation Step 4: Walk the matrix
After you create the RACI matrix, it is helpful to have those involved simulate a task and confirm with each responsible group that their level of involvement is appropriate and that no groups or essential details were left out. It is easy to forget tasks when building these in a meeting. It's like taking the same route to work every day and forgetting the railroad tracks or stoplights you pass.
When conflict is associated with ambiguity, consider using an external facilitator. Establishing trust and clarifying expectations are essential starting points for achieving a valuable outcome.
The following short video provides a good overview and example of using a RACI matrix.
RACI Matrix example
I am a fan of the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian. In the table below, I have used some key season one episode events to explain the RACI Matrix. "This is the way."
Role ambiguity rarely resolves itself. Left unaddressed, it becomes embedded in how decisions are made, how work is prioritized, and how accountability is avoided. Over time, leaders compensate for the lack of clarity through personal effort, informal influence, or escalation—none of which scale.
The practical question for senior leaders is not whether ambiguity exists, but where it is no longer acceptable. That requires making role expectations, decision rights, and ownership explicit—especially during periods of change.
If ambiguity is showing up as repeated friction, stalled decisions, or uneven execution, it is time to examine the underlying design of roles and authority. Clarifying these conditions is a leadership act.
Addressing them deliberately is how organizations restore coherence and reduce unnecessary strain.
References:
Amiruddin, A. (2019). The mediating effect of work stress on the influence of time pressure, work-family conflict, and role ambiguity on audit quality reduction behavior. International Journal of Law and Management, 61(2), 434-454.
Doolittle, J. (2023). Life-changing leadership habits: 10 Proven principles that will elevate people, profit, and purpose. Organizational Talent Consulting.
McCormak, N. (2013). Managing burnout in the workplace: A guide for information professionals. Science Direct. Chandos Publishing.
Wigert, B., & Pendell, R. (2023). 6 Trends Leaders Need to Navigate This Year. Gallup Workplace.
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