The Feedback Environment Scale: Construct Definition, Measurement, and Validation

TLDR

Managers are increasingly held accountable for providing resources that support employee development, especially through feedback and coaching, and organizations must equip managers with the necessary tools. This article introduces the Feedback Environment Scale, a new tool designed to diagnose and train managers in feedback and coaching. The scale was constructed by theoretically defining the feedback environment construct and then operationalizing it into a measurement instrument. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the measurement model, and the scale demonstrated internal consistency, test‑retest reliability, discriminant validity, and evidence of construct validity from the preliminary nomological network.

Abstract

Managers are increasingly being held accountable for providing resources that support employee development, particularly in the form of feedback and coaching. To support managers as trainers and coaches, organizations must provide managers with the tools they need to succeed in this area. This article presents a new tool to assist in the diagnosis and training of managers in the area of feedback and coaching: the Feedback Environment Scale. This article also discusses the theoretically based definition of this new construct and the development and validation evidence for the scale that measures this construct. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the a priori measurement model, and assessment of relationships proposed in a preliminary nomological network provide initial support for the construct validity of the scale. Results also show evidence for the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and discriminant validity of the facet scores of the Feedback Environment Scale.