Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Business Management Practice Test

What is role overload?

1. Employee lacks necessary skills for the job

2. Employee is unable to perform the job effectively

3. Employee feels disconnected from social interactions

4. Employee is confused about job expectations

The correct answer is: Employee is unable to perform the job effectively

Role overload occurs when an employee is assigned an excessive amount of tasks or responsibilities, leading to an inability to perform their job effectively. This situation arises when the demands of the job exceed the individual's capacity to manage those tasks, often resulting in stress, decreased productivity, and overall dissatisfaction with their work. Employees experiencing role overload may feel overwhelmed, which affects their ability to meet the expectations of their position successfully. While there are other factors that can affect job performance and employee satisfaction—such as lacking necessary skills, feeling disconnected socially, or being unclear about job expectations—these do not specifically capture the concept of role overload. Each of those factors can contribute to performance issues but they stem from different underlying problems unrelated to the sheer volume of demands placed on an employee’s role.