Feedback Seeking

Instrumental

The first motivation to seek feedback is instrumental. In the absence of feedback, employees will actively seek information that helps them evaluate how well their performance-related behaviors are contributing to important organizational goals. Employees use inquiry and monitoring as methods not only to determine which goals are important but also to evaluate how well their own performance is stacking up against these goals. Feedback seeking is most prevalent at times of uncertainty, such as when individuals are new to an organization and trying to “learn the ropes” and in situations of high role ambiguity.

Ego Defense and Enhancement

Because feedback is laden with positive or negative information and emotion, and because it comes from sources of greater or lesser influence, it can either threaten or enhance an employee's ego. Much of our self-concept comes from the feedback we receive from others; therefore, there is a natural human motivation to enhance and defend the ego in social settings. The need to maintain a positive self-image causes employees to pursue opportunities to maximize positive information and to minimize negative information about themselves. Research on feedback seeking reveals that employees tend to seek feedback when they believe they have performed well in order to verify their self-image or enhance their ego. On the other hand, when they believe that they have performed poorly, they are less likely to seek feedback and may even actively avoid it. This allows employees to minimize damage to their self-concept. The desire to seek ego-enhancing information and to avoid ego-threatening information is motivated not only by the desire for self-verification but also by the desire to make a positive impression on others.

...