Management Accounting Section Midyear Meeting

When Your Supervisor Underperforms: The Role of Process Feedback and The Formality Of Feedback

• In Event: Executives and Supervisors (Mixed Methods)

Abstract

This study investigates the role of process feedback as a mechanism to motivate employees after a period of underperformance. In particular, we examine whether process feedback, following negative outcome feedback has a positive influence on employees’ willingness to improve performance, and whether this differs across organizational roles and the nature of the feedback provided. Based on an experiment and a field survey, we find evidence that process feedback encourages employees to improve future performance and that this depends upon its interaction with the employee’s organizational role and the nature of the feedback. Specifically, underperforming supervisors prefer to receive formal feedback while the opposite holds for non-supervisory employees. Furthermore, we also find that the positive effect of process feedback is mediated by feedback acceptance.

Authors

• Kristof Stouthuysen, Vlerick Business School / KU Leuven

• Tineke Distelmans, Vlerick Business School / KU Leuven

• Hendrik Slabbinck, Universiteit Gent