9 research outputs found
Why do you ask? The effects of perceived motives on the effort that managers allocate toward delivering feedback
Although people are generally motivated to perform well at work, there is often ambiguity
regarding whether they are meeting their organizationâs standards. As such, people often seek
feedback from others. To date, feedback-seeking research has emphasized the feedback seeker,
identifying traits and circumstances associated with feedback-seeking, whereas far less is known
about this process from the feedback sourceâs point of view. However, we expect that feedback
sources will vary in their willingness to allocate effort toward delivering feedback. Specifically,
integrating the cost-value framework of feedback with self-regulatory theories of goal
prioritization, we predict that effort allocated toward a feedback episode is determined by the
feedback sourceâs perceptions of the feedback seekerâs motives for seeking feedback. Across
two complementary studies we found perceived instrumental motives (i.e., a desire to improve
oneâs performance) to be positively related to the amount of effort put toward delivering
feedback, and perceived image enhancement motives (i.e., a desire to impress the feedback
source) to be negatively related to effort allocation. Importantly, Study 1 was a field study in
which managers were asked to report on a recent episode in which a subordinate had sought their
feedback, and Study 2 used an experimental design in which feedback-seeking motives were
manipulated. Thus, the current research makes an important contribution to the literature by
considering the often overlooked role that the feedback source plays in the feedback process.
Moreover, triangulation of both field and experimental data enhances both the external and
internal validity of our conclusions.Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Insight Grant, 435-2018-048