Feedback orientation, feedback culture, and the longitudinal performance management process

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Abstract

This paper conceptualizes feedback as part of a longitudinal performance management process influenced by, and contributing to, the individual's feedback orientation and the organization's feedback culture. Feedback orientation refers to an individual's overall receptivity to feedback, including comfort with feedback, tendency to seek feedback and process it mindfully, and the likelihood of acting on the feedback to guide behavior change and performance improvement. Feedback culture refers to the organization's support for feedback, including nonthreatening, behaviorally focused feedback, coaching to help interpret and use feedback, and a strong link between performance improvement and valued outcomes. Critical events direct attention to the value of feedback and thereby start a performance management cycle of receiving, absorbing, and applying feedback in the following days, weeks, and months. Human resource research and practice need to measure feedback orientation and culture and capture longitudinal feedback processes to better understand and influence the effects of feedback on self-awareness, self-confidence, and job performance.

Introduction

While considerable attention has been given recently to multisource 360° feedback (cf. London & Smither, 1995, Tornow & London, 1998) as a discrete event, much less attention has been given to the individual, organizational, and longitudinal aspects of the use of feedback. Approaches to feedback in the literature have moved from a static view focusing on the immediate effects of feedback (see reviews by Ilgen et al., 1979, Nadler, 1979) to a more dynamic view focusing on feedback seeking (cf. Ashford & Cummings, 1983, Larson, 1984, Walker & Smither, 1999), multiple sources of feedback (Tornow & London, 1998), and feedback interventions to improve performance [see Kluger & DeNisi's (1996) meta-analysis]. The tendency in the literature has been to view feedback in isolation of other events that unfold over time.

In the current paper, we adopt a person–environment interaction view of feedback processes over time, outlined in Fig. 1. We focus on how individual characteristics and organizational characteristics shape the impact of feedback over time. Specifically, we extend the dynamic view of feedback by first introducing the concepts of feedback orientation (an individual-level construct) and feedback culture (an organizational-level construct). We then describe their tie to the longitudinal performance management process. We also describe how a longitudinal perspective can help us understand feedback processes in ways that are not obvious when feedback processes are viewed from a short-term or cross-sectional perspective. We conclude by offering directions for research that will help us better understand the complex effects of interacting and overlapping feedback cycles.

Section snippets

Feedback orientation

We conceptualize feedback orientation as a construct consisting of multiple dimensions that work together additively to determine an individual's overall receptivity to feedback and the extent to which the individual welcomes guidance and coaching. It includes: (1) liking feedback (i.e., an overall positive affect toward feedback and an absence, or a low level, of evaluation apprehension); (2) behavioral propensity to seek feedback Ashford & Black, 1996, Ashford & Tsui, 1991; (3) cognitive

Feedback culture

A strong feedback culture is one where individuals continuously receive, solicit, and use formal and informal feedback to improve their job performance. This may be linked to effective policies and programs for performance management, continuous learning, and career development. The individual's feedback orientation depends in part on the support and climate for learning. The more frequent the feedback and the closer it follows the behavior in question, the more likely it is to be accepted (cf.

Toward a longitudinal, developmental performance management process

Feedback orientation and culture influence how feedback is received, interpreted, and used over time. Here we articulate the components of this longitudinal performance management process and their relationships to feedback orientation and culture (see Fig. 1).

A manager may receive formal feedback in a variety of situations. One common context for formal feedback is the traditional performance appraisal review discussion with one's supervisor. More extensive feedback may come from a 360°

Components of the performance management cycle

The performance management cycle is a multistage, longitudinal process that may last days, weeks, or even months. Key to a performance management cycle is the relationship between receiving and using feedback, moderated by the individual's feedback orientation and the organization's feedback culture. The cycle occurs over time as the individual deals with the feedback. How much time it takes depends on the individual's initial receptivity to feedback, the support for using feedback, and how

The cumulative effect of repeating and interacting performance management cycles

People may experience several, possibly overlapping, cycles as they work on different elements of their performance. Here, research is sparse, and we are on more speculative grounds in proposing how this process works. We may presume that each successive cycle focuses on fine-tuning specific behaviors. Together, the cycles have a cumulative effect on behavior change. These cycles may be part of a larger cycle, one that is of greater importance to the individual with valuable outcomes at stake.

Implications for research design, measurement, and practice

Research should investigate the relationship of feedback orientation to work performance, behavior change, and performance improvements. Research should also investigate the relationship between feedback orientation and related constructs, such as self-monitoring, mastery orientation, self-enhancement, self-verification, and self-management (Latham & Frayne, 1989). Other associated constructs include performance management orientation (the extent to which individuals focus on enhancing current

Conclusion

Feedback orientation and culture influence receptivity to feedback and the extent to which feedback is sought, valued, and used. Feedback involves repeating, multistage cycles. Receiving, interpreting, and applying feedback occur in each cycle and affect succeeding cycles. Individuals' reactions and behaviors vary at each stage of the cycle. Each stage needs to be understood in a longitudinal context to determine ways to enhance the value of feedback. Over time, multiple performance management

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