Exploring the Dimensionality of Managers' Performance Feedback to Subordinates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensional structure of managers' performance feedback to subordinates. Three hundred and sixty pairs of managers and subordinates from over 50 organizations located in three countries participated in the study. Both members of each pair completed an instrument assessing the timeliness, specificity, frequency, and sensitivity of the manager's positive and negative performance feedback. The relationship among these dimensions was examined using both confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. The results offer little evidence that these dimensions actually exist as distinct features of managers' performance feedback behavior. Instead, they appear to covary so strongly as to be empirically indiscriminable. This covariation is most extreme within the positive and negative feedback domains. It is substantially less, though still present, across domains. These results suggest that it may be more appropriate to examine the overall quality of managers' performance feedback than to focus on each dimension separately.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

ASHFORD, S. J. , & CUMMINGS, L. L. Feeedback as an individual resource: Personal strategies for creating information . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1983, 32, 370-398 .

CHHOKAR, J. S. , & WALLIN, J. A. A field study of the effect of feedback frequency on performance . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1984, 69, 524-530 .

DANSEREAU, F. , GRAEN, G. , & HAGA, W. A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations . Organizational behavior and Human performance, 1975, 13, 46-78 .

GRAEN, G. , & CASHMAN, J. F. A role-making model of leadership in formal organizations: A developmental approach. In J. G. Hunt & L. L. Larson (Eds.), Leadership frontiers. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press , 1975, pp. 143-165.

HEROLD, D. M. , & GRELLER, M. M. Feedback: The definition of a construct . Academy of Management Journal, 1977, 20, 142-147 .

HEROLD, D. M. , & PARSONS, C. K. Assessing the feedback environment in work organizations: Development of the job feedback survey . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1985, 70, 290-305 .

ILGEN, D. R. , DUGONI, B. L. , MATTE, W. E., Jr. , FISHER, C. D. , & TAYLOR, M. S. Effects of performance feedback in organizational settings, Technical Report No. 3. West Lafayette, Indiana: Purdue University, Department of Psychology , 1978.

ILGEN, D. R. , FISHER, C. D. , & TAYLOR, M. S. Consequences of individual feedback on behavior in organizations . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1979, 64, 349-371 .

ILGEN, D. R. , HOBSON, C. J. , & DUGONI, B. L. Performance feedback in organizations: The development of a meausre . JSAS Catalogue of Selected Documents in Psychology, 1981, 11, 62 (Manuscript No. 2319). (a)

10.

ILGEN, D. R. , PETERSON, R. B. , MARTIN, B. A. , & BOESCHEN, D. A. Supervisor and subordinate reactions to performance appraisal sessions . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1981, 28, 311-330 . (b)

11.

JAMES, L. R. , MULAIK, S. A. , & BRETT, J. M. Causal analysis: Assumptions, models, and data. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications , 1982.

12.

JONES, E. E. , & NISBETT, R. E. The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions of the causes of behavior. In E. E. Jones , D. E. Kanouse , H. H. Kelley , R. E. Nisbett , S. Valins , & B. Weiner (Eds.), Attribution: Perceiving the cause of behavior. Morristown, N.J.: General Learning Press , 1972, pp. 79-94.

13.

JORESKOG, K. G. , & SORBOM, D. LISREL VI: Analysis of linear structured relationships by the method of maximum likelihood (Users guide). Mooresville, Indiana: Scientific Software . 1984.

14.

KATERBERG, R. , & HOM, P. W. Effects of within-group and between-group variations in leadership . Journal of Applied Psychology, 1981, 66, 218-223 .

15.

LARSON, J. R., Jr. The performance feedback process; A preliminary model . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1984, 33, 42-76 .

16.

LARSON, J. R., Jr. Supervisors' performance feedback to subordinates: The impact of subordinate performance valence and outcome dependence . Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 1986, 37, 391-408 .

17.

LONG, J. S. Confirmatory factor analysis: A preface to LISREL. Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Application in the Social Sciences, Series No. 07-033. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications , 1983. (a)

18.

LONG, J. S. Covariance structure models: An introduction to LISREL. Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Application in the Social Sciences, Series No. 07-034. Beverly Hills, California: Sage Publications , 1983. (b)

19.

NADLER, D. A. The effect of feedback on task group behavior: A review of the experimental research . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1979, 23, 309-338 .

20.

PAVETT, C. M. Evaluation of the impact of feedback on performance and motivation . Human Relations, 1983, 36, 641-654 .

21.

TAYLOR, M. S. , & WALTHER, F. The relationship of feedback dimensions to work attitudes and behavior: Process and practical implications. Madison: University of Wisconsin, School of Business , 1981.