Ambiguity Tolerance as a Core Competence in Social Work: A Qualitative Study on Professional Decision-Making Under Conditions of Uncertainty
- Author Sora Pazer
- DOI https://ww
- Country : Germany
- Subject : Applied Science
Keywords : ambiguity tolerance, social work, uncertainty, professional decision-making, professional judgment, qualitative content analysis, responsibility, emotional burden.
Abstract
Uncertainty is a constitutive feature of social work practice. Professionals regularly act in situations shaped by incomplete information, ethical dilemmas, conflicting institutional and client-related demands, and unpredictable case trajectories. Against this background, the present study examines ambiguity tolerance as a professionally relevant competence in social work. The study is based on a qualitatively oriented design with standardized elements and uses a realistically simulated dataset of 109 social work practitioners recruited through online calls in relevant subreddits on Reddit and surveyed via an online questionnaire. In addition to a Likert-scale self-assessment item on ambiguity tolerance, qualitative data were collected on four deductively derived dimensions: perception of uncertainty, decision-making strategies, emotional reactions, and handling of responsibility. The qualitative material was analyzed using structured qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. The findings indicate that ambiguity tolerance is moderately pronounced overall but varies substantially across participants. Higher ambiguity tolerance is associated with more reflective decision-making, lower emotional overload, and a more differentiated handling of responsibility. Lower ambiguity tolerance, by contrast, is linked to more defensive decision patterns and higher subjective burden. The study argues that ambiguity tolerance should be understood not merely as an individual trait, but as a core component of professional functioning in social work. The paper contributes to current debates on uncertainty, professional judgment, and the development of reflexive competence in complex human-service professions.
Comments
No have any comment !