The Concept of Role Theory — IELTS Reading Answers

It would be a good idea to specify the role definitions of soldiers more clearly.

“In very significant cases of role change, e.g. from a soldier in the ranks to officer, from bachelor to married man, the change of role has to have a very obvious sign, hence rituals”

The text mentions a soldier moving from the ranks to officer as an example of role change needing ritual; it never suggests clarifying soldiers' role definitions.

Accountants may be similar to one another because they have the same type of job.

“Hence, there is some likelihood that all accountants will be alike or that all blondes are similar - they are forced that way by the expectations of their role”

The text says there is some likelihood that all accountants will be alike because the expectations of their role force them that way.

It is probably a good idea to keep dress as a role sign even nowadays.

“The current trend towards blurring these role signs in dress is probably democratic, but it also makes some people very insecure. Without role signs, who is to know who has what role”

Blurring role signs in dress makes some people very insecure, and without role signs nobody knows who has what role, so keeping dress signs seems sensible.

The decline in emphasis on marriage rituals should be reversed.

“It is interesting to observe, for instance, some decline in the emphasis given to marriage rituals. This could be taken as an indication that there is no longer such a big change in role from single to married person, and therefore no need for a public change in sign”

The passage notes some decline in emphasis on marriage rituals and explains it, but never says this decline should be reversed.

Today furniture operates as a role sign in the same way as dress has always done.

“In social circumstances, dress has often been used as a role sign to indicate the nature and degree of formality of any gathering and occasionally the social status of people present In organisations, office signs and furniture are often used as role signs.”

Office signs and furniture are often used as role signs in organisations, just as dress signals formality and social status.

It is a good idea to remove role ambiguity.

“Is this bad? Not necessarily, for the ability to shape one's own role is one of the freedoms that many people desire, but the ambiguity may lead to role stress which will be discussed later on”

The writer says role ambiguity is not necessarily bad since shaping one's own role is a freedom many desire, though it may cause role stress.

Job descriptions eliminate role ambiguity for managers.

“Unfortunately, job descriptions are seldom complete role definitions, except at the lower end of the scale. At middle and higher management levels, they are often a list of formal jobs and duties that say little about the more subtle and informal expectations of the role.”

Job descriptions are seldom complete at middle and higher management levels and actually heighten managers' sense of role ambiguity.

“In organisations, office signs and furniture are often used as role signs”

The gap needs what office signs and furniture act as; the text says they are often used as role signs.

“In very significant cases of role change, e.g. from a soldier in the ranks to officer, from bachelor to married man, the change of role has to have a very obvious sign, hence rituals”

The gap needs what marks very significant role changes; the text says an obvious sign is needed, hence rituals.

“The simplest of role signs is a uniform”

The gap needs what a uniform is described as; the text calls it the simplest of role signs.

“He has the focal role and can be regarded as sitting in the middle of a group of people, with whom he interacts in some way in that situation. This group of people is called his role set”

The gap needs the term for the group around a focal person; the text says this group is called his role set.

This text is taken from

1. Aa guide for new managers in a company.
2. Ba textbook analysis of behaviour in organisations.correct
3. Ca critical study of the importance of role signs in modern society.
4. Da newspaper article about role changes.

“In social circumstances, dress has often been used as a role sign to indicate the nature and degree of formality of any gathering and occasionally the social status of people present. The current trend towards blurring these role signs in dress is probably democratic, but it also makes some people very insecure”

The text analyses role signs, role sets and role ambiguity in organisations in academic terms, fitting a textbook on behaviour in organisations.