Reactions to performance feedback and source: The moderating effect of individualism/collectivism and power distance

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2013

Öğrenci: GAYE SOLMAZER

Eş Danışman: YONCA TOKER, HAYRİYE CANAN SÜMER

Özet:

The major aim of the current study was to examine the moderating effects of collectivism and power distance cultural orientations-assessed at the individual level- on the relationship between feedback source and reactions to performance feedback, operationalized as perceived accuracy, perceived usefulness, and affective reactions. In the present study, focal reactions were those which came from observers of a third party’s performance. Student participants took part in a 2 (feedback sign) X 3 (feedback source) experimental design. Participants were shown a video depicting an average level presentation performance of a pseudo employee. Following this, participants were provided favorable or unfavorable performance ratings for this presentation from one of three sources (a supervisor, subordinates, and peers). Participants were asked to evaluate the employee’s performance ratings provided by the assigned source condition in terms of reactions. Then, measures of cultural orientations were administered. Study results showed that supervisor raters were perceived to have more expertise than peer raters and subordinate raters. Similarly, participants perceived the feedback from a supervisor as more accurate than the feedback from peers. For negative feedback, participants perceived the feedback from subordinates and supervisor as more accurate than the feedback from peers. When feedback was positive, affective reactions to feedback from peers were more positive than those to feedback from subordinates. Further, collectivism levels of observers had positive effects on affective reactions when subordinates provided negative feedback and when a supervisor and peers provided positive feedback. The study results were discussed and contributions and limitations of study were presented.