Feedback Valence in Organizations: A Structured Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Valence of feedback - the sign of the information people receive concerning their own performance - is a well-researched yet theoretically fragmented construct. Even though scholars have been studying feedback for many years, current field-level review studies still characterize the literature on performance-related feedback in terms of inconsistent definitions, isolated theoretical perspectives, and conflicting conclusions as to which valence of feedback (positive or negative) works better for people and organizations. This study is an attempt to systematize the existing literature on the topic of feedback valence by conducting a theoretically-oriented review of academic studies from scientific databases. The purpose of the review is to follow the evolution of the feedback valence concept and identify major theoretical perspectives that scholars used to study it (Feedback Intervention Theory, feedback seeking cost-benefit perspective, self-verification/attribution theory, and social exchange theory). The synthesis indicates that the effect of valenced feedback is highly situation-specific: positive feedback consistently promotes motivation, creativity, and feedback seeking behavior, but negative feedback effect depends on the nature of the relationship, delivery of feedback, and agency of the person receiving it. The paper concludes with the discussion of theoretical, methodological, and situational limitations and suggestions for future research in this area.

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