Can We Talk? Improving Employee Contextual Performance Using Motivating Language and Feedback Orientation

Abstract

This study sought to determine whether motivating language theory and feedback orientation theory connect, and if so, whether or not this impacts employee contextual performance in the workplace. Survey data was collected from 458 individuals (142 undergraduate students, and a national sample of 316 employees). Statistically significant relationships were observed between motivating language and feedback orientation, between motivating language and contextual performance, and between feedback orientation and contextual performance. Feedback orientation was found to moderate the relationship between motivating language and contextual performance. Implications and generalizability of these theories to other settings are presented.