The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation

The present research shows that managers communicate negative feedback ineffectively because they suffer from transparency illusions that cause them to overestimate how accurately employees perceive their feedback. We propose that these illusions emerge because managers are insufficiently motivated...

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Main Authors: SCHAERER, Michael, KERN, Mary, BERGER, Gail, SWAAB, Roderick I.
Format: text
Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2018
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5558
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/viewcontent/Illusion_of_transparency_2018_pvoa.pdf
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/filename/0/type/additional/viewcontent/Transparency_PA_SM.docx
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-65572019-09-11T05:49:36Z The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation SCHAERER, Michael KERN, Mary BERGER, Gail SWAAB, Roderick I. The present research shows that managers communicate negative feedback ineffectively because they suffer from transparency illusions that cause them to overestimate how accurately employees perceive their feedback. We propose that these illusions emerge because managers are insufficiently motivated to engage in effortful thinking, which reduces the accuracy with which they communicate negative feedback to employees. Six studies (N = 1883) using actual performance appraisals within an organization and role plays with MBA students, undergraduates, and online participants show that transparency illusions are stronger when feedback is negative (Studies 1–2), that they are not driven by employee bias (Study 3), and occur because managers are insufficiently motivated to be accurate (Studies 4a–c). In addition, these studies demonstrate that transparency illusions are driven by more indirect communication by the manager and how different interventions can be used to mitigate these effects (Studies 4a–c). An internal meta-analysis including 11 studies from the file drawer (N = 1887) revealed a moderate effect size (d = 0.43) free of publication bias. 2018-01-01T08:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5558 info:doi/10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.09.002 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/viewcontent/Illusion_of_transparency_2018_pvoa.pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/filename/0/type/additional/viewcontent/Transparency_PA_SM.docx http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Feedback Performance Appraisal Illusion of Transparency Bias Accountability Incentives Communication Directness Human Resources Management Organizational Behavior and Theory
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Feedback
Performance Appraisal
Illusion of Transparency
Bias
Accountability
Incentives
Communication Directness
Human Resources Management
Organizational Behavior and Theory
spellingShingle Feedback
Performance Appraisal
Illusion of Transparency
Bias
Accountability
Incentives
Communication Directness
Human Resources Management
Organizational Behavior and Theory
SCHAERER, Michael
KERN, Mary
BERGER, Gail
SWAAB, Roderick I.
The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
description The present research shows that managers communicate negative feedback ineffectively because they suffer from transparency illusions that cause them to overestimate how accurately employees perceive their feedback. We propose that these illusions emerge because managers are insufficiently motivated to engage in effortful thinking, which reduces the accuracy with which they communicate negative feedback to employees. Six studies (N = 1883) using actual performance appraisals within an organization and role plays with MBA students, undergraduates, and online participants show that transparency illusions are stronger when feedback is negative (Studies 1–2), that they are not driven by employee bias (Study 3), and occur because managers are insufficiently motivated to be accurate (Studies 4a–c). In addition, these studies demonstrate that transparency illusions are driven by more indirect communication by the manager and how different interventions can be used to mitigate these effects (Studies 4a–c). An internal meta-analysis including 11 studies from the file drawer (N = 1887) revealed a moderate effect size (d = 0.43) free of publication bias.
format text
author SCHAERER, Michael
KERN, Mary
BERGER, Gail
SWAAB, Roderick I.
author_facet SCHAERER, Michael
KERN, Mary
BERGER, Gail
SWAAB, Roderick I.
author_sort SCHAERER, Michael
title The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
title_short The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
title_full The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
title_fullStr The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
title_full_unstemmed The illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: When and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
title_sort illusion of transparency in performance appraisals: when and why accuracy motivation explains unintentional feedback inflation
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2018
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/5558
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/viewcontent/Illusion_of_transparency_2018_pvoa.pdf
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/6557/filename/0/type/additional/viewcontent/Transparency_PA_SM.docx
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