Dimensions of organizational role: a case study of the supervisor in a textile mill

Abstract

In this paper an attempt is made to understand the work role of the first line supervisor (mistri) in the weaving department of a large textile mill from the points of view of the supervisor him. self, of his superiors, and of his subordinates. It is assumed that congruence of perceptions and expectdtions among the people concerned with the performance of an organizational role contri, butes to the effective functioning of the organization. The work role of the mistri is divided into specific segments of activity. The data indicate the extent and quality of divergence in the percep tions and expectations for each segment of the role among the three levels of the organization as mentioned above. Although the analysis fails to show a clear pattern of congruence or diver, gence of role perceptions and expectations} it appears that officers show greater expectations about the responsibility of the mistri than mistris themselves. One important conclusion emerging from the data is that there is considerable variation within each group on the mistri's role, while intergroup divergence is not very significant. At the same time, genuine consensus between groups (reinforced by intragroup consensus) is rather low. The analysis suggests that there is a higher degree of consensus among the groups on the mistri's role in personnel and maintenance areas. While the mistri is supposed to have low responsibility in per. spnnel mdtters, his responsibility for maintenance is consistently regarded as high. This observation conforms to the widely pre. valent image of a mistri as mainly a person looking after main tenance of machines.