Article

Supervisor developmental feedback and employee performance: The roles of feedback-seeking and political skill

Published in: Journal of Psychology in Africa
Volume 29 , issue 5 , 2019 , pages: 435–442

DOI: 10.1080/14330237.2019.1665879

Author(s): Weilin Su School of Labor and Human Resources, China , Bei Lyu Chinese Graduate School, Thailand , Yanjun Liu School of Labor and Human Resources, China , Hui Chen Chinese Graduate School, Thailand , Jiayu Fan School of International Education, China

Keywords: employee performance , feedback-seeking , political skill , mediator , moderator , supervisor developmental feedback

Download full text Get new issue alerts

Abstract

The present study investigated the positive influence of supervisor developmental feedback on employee performance through feedback-seeking, as well as the moderating role of political skill. Employees (n = 327, females = 59.6%) of a high-tech company completed measures of supervisor developmental feedback and political skill. The supervisors (n = 68, females = 51.3%) were invited to evaluate their employees’ feedback-seeking and performance. Following hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrap analysis, results showed that supervisor developmental feedback was positively correlated to employees’ feedback-seeking and performance. The relationship between supervisor developmental feedback and employee performance was partly mediated by feedback-seeking. Moreover, the positive influence of supervisor developmental feedback on employees’ feedback-seeking and performance were moderated by political skill. Future managers and supervisors should leverage developmental feedback to facilitate employees’ feedback-seeking and performance.

« Introduction to the special section by the guest editor

Exploring indicators of subjective well-being for first-year university students »