Role clarity, work values, and job cognition: Implications for task performance and job stress in Indian industries

This study examines the relationship between employees' role clarity, work values, job cognition, task performance, and job stress in organizations across India's manufacturing and service sectors. Based on a latent variable path model, the study assesses how employees' role clarity, moderated by their work values, enhances their job cognition, which in turn determines their task performance and job stress. Questionnaires administered to 819 Indian firm executives confirm that employees' work values moderate, and their job cognition mediates their role clarity in achieving positive results. The study contributes to the knowledge bases of organizational behavior and human resource management by formulating role and cognitive appraisal theories. It also provides practical insights for managers and policymakers seeking to enhance stress-free productivity and align human capital plans with evolving employee aspirations.