Self‐Determined Feedback Seeking: The Role of Perceived Supervisor Autonomy Support

• Date: 01 July 2017
• Author: Gerard Beenen,Shaun Pichler,Paul E. Levy
• Published date: 01 July 2017
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21787

Human Resource Management, July–August 2017, Vol. 56, No. 4. Pp. 555–569

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).

DOI:10.1002/hrm.21787

Correspondence to: Gerard Beenen, Associate Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Management, Mihaylo

College of Business and Economics, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton,

CA92831, Phone: 657-278-4858, Fax: 657-278-2645, E-mail: gbeenen@fullerton.edu.

Ashford, & Buyens, 2011; Renn & Fedor, 2001;

Wanberg & Kammeyer-Mueller, 2000).

Despite these benefits, there are substan-

tial costs that can impair one’s motivation to

engage in feedback seeking (Anseel, Beatty, Shen,

Lievens & Sackett, 2015; Ashford etal., 2003). For

instance, feedback seeking poses social risks by

exposing one’s lack of competence (Bamberger,

2009; Morrison, 1993; Tuckey etal., 2002), and

requires greater effort than more passive forms of

information seeking such as monitoring (Ashford

& Cummings, 1983; Wanberg & Kammeyer-

Mueller, 2000). Because feedback seeking is a pro-

active tactic that can help newcomers acquire job

knowledge and perform better, it is important to

consider strategies that can motivate newcomer

feedback seeking by overcoming these obstacles.

Feedback seeking is a proactive socializa-

tion tactic that entails active inquiry about

one’s role requirements and performance to

assess whether one’s behaviors are effective

to achieve valued end states (e.g., Ashford

& Black, 1996; Chan & Schmitt, 2000; Cooper-

Thomas & Anderson, 2006). Subordinates who

seek feedback create a positive impression by

signaling to their supervisors their motivation to

learn and improve their performance (Ashford,

Blatt, & VandeWalle, 2003; Ashford & Tsui, 1991;

Tuckey, Brewer, & Williamson, 2002). Feedback

seeking also is associated with other positive

outcomes, including newcomer adjustment, sat-

isfaction, creativity, citizenship behaviors, and

reduced turnover intentions (Bauer, Bodner,

Erdogan, Truxillo, & Tucker, 2007; De Stobbeleir,

SELF-DETERMINED FEEDBACK

SEEKING: THE ROLE OF PERCEIVED

SUPERVISOR AUTONOMY SUPPORT

GERARD BEENEN, SHAUN PICHLER, AND PAUL E. LEVY

We use self-determination theory (SDT) as a framework for investigating how

perceived autonomy-supportive supervision positively infl uences conditions that

motivate newcomer subordinates to engage in feedback seeking. Based on data

collected from MBA interns at two time periods, perceived autonomy support

predicted task autonomy, informal supervisor feedback, and subordinate rela-

tionship building, and the latter two mediated the relationship between auton-

omy support and feedback seeking. Our study provides an SDT perspective on

newcomer socialization by highlighting the important role supervisor support for

autonomy can play in motivating feedback seeking as a proactive socialization

tactic. Organizations and human resources management professionals should

consider including training around autonomy support in supervisory training

programs. ©2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: feedback seeking, newcomer socialization, perceived autonomy

support, self-determination theory, motivation