The contributory effects of supervisor intentions on subordinate feedback responses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributory effects of perceived supervisor intentions on subordinate reactions, motivation to improve, and feedback seeding behavior when a supervisor provides informal feedback. One hundred eighty-four participants responded to scenarios within the context of their current work situations in which feedback sign (positive/negative), supervisor feedback giving behavioral style (effective/ineffective), and supervisor intentions (constructive/mixed/nonconstructive) were manipulated in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design. The results provided further support for the impact of feedback sign and supervisor behavior on subordinate feedback reactions and responses. Intention perceptions interacted with feedback sign to affect feedback reactions and, as a main effect, significantly contributed to the variance explained for each of the three dependent variables. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for the feedback process and suggestions are offered for future research on subordinate reactions and responses to supervisor feedback.