What phenomenon occurs when a person holds too many demanding roles to manage effectively?

The concept of role overload is characterized by an individual taking on excessive responsibilities and expectations that exceed their capacity to manage effectively. This situation arises when a person is faced with multiple roles—be it in their professional or personal life—that require significant time and effort, ultimately leading to feelings of being overwhelmed.

When individuals experience role overload, they may struggle with meeting the demands of each role satisfactorily, which can result in stress, decreased productivity, and feelings of burnout. This phenomenon highlights the limitations of one's ability to juggle various roles and the impact of such a burden on their overall performance and well-being.

In contrast, role conflict pertains to situations where an individual faces competing demands from different roles, causing tension or incompatibility. Role expansion refers to the growth of responsibilities associated with a role, which may not necessarily lead to overload but rather an increase in duties. Role rut describes a state where a person feels stagnant in their responsibilities, but does not specifically denote the struggle associated with managing too many demanding roles.