Inter-Role Conflict Scale [IRCS-10]

Analysis

The Inter-Role Conflict Scale (IRCS-10) is used to assess conflicts that arise when the demands associated with an individual’s different roles are incompatible, or when participation in one role interferes with effective participation in another.

Inter-role conflict is particularly relevant to understanding the balance between professional and personal life. A common example involves conflict between work and family responsibilities, when demands in one domain reduce the individual’s ability to meet expectations in the other.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the IRCS-10 is to evaluate the extent to which demands from different roles, such as occupational and family responsibilities, come into conflict and create difficulties in everyday functioning.

The scale may also be used to investigate the relationship between role conflict and psychological reactions such as stress, frustration, and other negative emotions, as well as broader indicators of occupational and personal well-being.

Scoring

The scale typically consists of statements rated on a five-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree.

Responses may be summed to produce an overall inter-role conflict score. Higher total scores indicate a greater degree of incompatibility or conflict between the demands of different roles.

References

Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., & Williams, L. J. (2000). Construction and initial validation of a multidimensional measure of work-family conflict. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56(2), 249–276.

Frone, M. R., Russell, M., & Cooper, M. L. (1992). Antecedents and outcomes of work-family conflict: Testing a model of the work-family interface. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(1), 65–78.

Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88.

Kahn, R. L., Wolfe, D. M., Quinn, R. P., Snoek, J. D., & Rosenthal, R. A. (1964). Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. Wiley.

Netemeyer, R. G., Boles, J. S., & McMurrian, R. (1996). Development and validation of work-family conflict and family-work conflict scales. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81(4), 400–410.