Drawing on leader role set theorywe examine the relationship between the congruence of leaders' and subordinates' empowerment expectations and subordinates' experiences of roleambiguity and intrinsic motivation. Based on cross-level polynomial regression analysis using 168 subordinates and 33 leaders the results indicated that the relationship between congruence and role ambiguity and intrinsic motivation vary depending on whether leaders misevaluate subordinate empowerment expectations as well as whether the expectations match. Specifically subordinates had low role ambiguity and low intrinsic motivation when leaders' and subordinates' empowerment expectations matched at low levels and when leaders underestimated subordinates' empowerment expectations. However subordinates had low role ambiguity and high intrinsic motivation when expectations matched at high levels. Furthermore role ambiguity was high and intrinsic motivation was low when the leaders overestimated subordinates' empowerment expectations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.