Trust and the Communication of Performance Appraisal Information: The Effect of Feedback on Performance and Job Satisfaction

The feedback of performance appraisal information is a critical communication activity in organizations. Research on the topic, however, has generally been limited to (1) treating feedback as an undifferentiated construct, and (2) not examining the important moderating impact of trust of the receiver in the sender. Using a sample of 100 managers, this study explores the dimensionality of the feedback construct, the relationships of feedback to individual performance and satisfaction, and the moderating effects of trust on these associations. Results indicate that various aspects of feedback are differentially related to performance and satisfaction under conditions of high and low trut. Importantly, the communication of performance appraisal information is found to be a more important correlate of satisfaction and performance for subordinates who express low trust in their superiors.

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