The Effects of Information Technology and the Perceived Mood of the Feedback Giver on Feedback Seeking

Soon Ang, Larry L. Cummings, Detmar W. Straub and P. Christopher Earley
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Soon Ang: Information Management Research Center, School of Accountancy and Business, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue 2263, Singapore
Larry L. Cummings: Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, 271 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Detmar W. Straub: Department of Computer Information Systems, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303
P. Christopher Earley: Graduate School of Management, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92717

Information Systems Research, 1993, vol. 4, issue 3, 240-261

Abstract: A major tenet in organizational behavior literature is that feedback improves performance. If feedback is thought to improve performance, then individuals should actively seek feedback in their work. Yet, surprisingly, individuals seldom seek feedback perhaps because of face-loss costs of obtaining feedback face-to-face. Furthermore, in cases where the giver is perceived to be in a bad mood, individuals may be even more reluctant to seek feedback if they believe seeking feedback risks the giver's wrath and a negative evaluation. In this paper, we explain how information technology can be designed to mediate feedback communication and deliver feedback that promotes feedback seeking. In a laboratory experiment, the effects of information technology and the perceived mood of the feedback giver on the behavior of feedback seekers are examined. The results showed that individuals in both the computer-mediated feedback environment and the computer-generated feedback environment sought feedback more frequently than individuals in the face-to-face feedback environment. In addition, individuals sought feedback more frequently from a giver who was perceived to be in a good mood than from a giver who was perceived to be in a bad mood.

Keywords: feedback seeking; mood; electronic communication; feedback systems; information technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1993
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