Make my boss happy : perceived work performance, supervisor-attributed motives, feedback-seeking behavior, leader-member exchange, and objective work performance

Abstract

The major objectives of the research are to investigate (1) when and how feedback-seeking behavior of subordinates is associated with the quality of leader-member exchange (LMX); (2) how supervisors' interpretations of what motivates their subordinates' feedback-seeking behavior affect the consequences of such behavior for both the quality of leader-member exchange (LMX) and subordinates' work performance; (3) whether and how supervisors' perceived work performance of subordinates affect their attributions of motives for subordinates' feedback-seeking behavior. The research includes three studies. In Study 1, using a sample of 209 supervisor-subordinate dyads from a telecommunication service company in mainland China, I found that subordinates' feedback-seeking behavior was positively related to the quality of LMX when supervisors interpreted the feedback-seeking behavior of subordinates as being driven more by task-enhancement motives or less by impression management motives. In Study 2, using a sample of 240 supervisor-subordinate dyads from two manufacturing firms in mainland China, I further confirmed the findings of Study 1, and additionally found that negative feedback-seeking behavior was positively related to LMX, which, in turn, was conducive to increase work performance. However, this relationship only occurred when supervisors attributed subordinates' negative feedback-seeking behavior as being driven more by task-enhancement motives or less by impression management motives. Study 3 which had a longitudinal research design, used 300 supervisor-subordinate dyads from a manufacturing firm in China. Through this study, I further confirmed the findings of Study 1, and additionally found that supervisors attributed good performers' feedback-seeking behavior as being driven more by task-enhancement motives or less by impression management motives.