Are You Hiding from Your Boss? The Development of a Taxonomy and Instrument to Assess the Feedback Management Behaviors of Good and Bad Performers

Abstract

While feedback seeking has been identified as an impression management strategy when employees perform well, less attention has been given to the feedback management strategies of poor performers. A three-construct taxonomy of feedback management behavior under conditions of both good and poor performance is proposed. The motives for feedback seeking behavior, feedback mitigating behavior, and feedback avoiding behavior are delineated. A description of the development of a scale to measure the proposed constructs is presented and a follow-up study documenting the extent to which employees report engaging in feedback management is described.