Trust and Feedback: An exploratory study of the impact of trust on upwards feedback in a Multisource Feedback Review

Walsh, Judy (2019) Trust and Feedback: An exploratory study of the impact of trust on upwards feedback in a Multisource Feedback Review. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Trust and feedback have long been considered critical elements of successful employment relationships. This qualitative study explores the impact that trust has on the provision of upwards feedback as part of a multisource feedback (MSF) review. Previous research suggests that trust within an employment relationship can improve the quality of feedback between individuals and reduce the fear associated with giving and receiving feedback. For this study, employees of an Irish Higher Education Institution (HEI) were interviewed. These participants had recently provided feedback to their supervisors as part of a developmental MSF review. The goal was to explore the participants’ perceptions of trust within their employment relationship and to discover whether this perception of trust, or lack of trust, had any impact on the feedback they provided. While it is impossible to confirm that the presence or absence of trust was the only influencing factor on the feedback, the primary finding was that participants who trusted the motivation of their supervisors in requesting the feedback were more open and honest with the feedback they provided. Those participants who did not trust that their supervisors were seeking feedback for the purpose of development were more cautious with their feedback and less willing to be critical. This finding has practical implications for the future implementation of MSF reviews, particularly for developmental purposes. Practitioners should ensure that feedback recipients are undertaking the review for the purpose of development and this should be clearly communicated to those providing feedback. Very little research has considered the impact of trust on feedback as part of an MSF review. Very few studies have considered feedback from the perspective of the feedback provider rather than the feedback recipient. This study confirms the findings of previous research into trust, feedback and MSF reviews while addressing these gaps in the literature.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management > Performance Management
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	16 Oct 2019 14:52
Last Modified:	16 Oct 2019 14:52
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/3934

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