Chinese and Dutch interpretations of supervisory feedback

In a Chinese-Dutch scenario study (N=433 students), the authors investigated subordinates' covert reactions to supervisory feedback. The study consisted of a 2 (personal orientation: collectivist vs. individualist) × 2 (performance perspective: collective vs. individual) × 2 (feedback favorability: positive vs. negative) completely crossed factorial design. The dependent variables were feedback quality, relational quality, emotional responses, and behavioral intentions. The authors found that feedback quality and relational quality tend to be higher for matched collectivist-collective and individualist-individual situations than for mismatched situations. They also found that collective situations enhance constructive behavioral intentions more than do individual situations and that positive feedback produces better information, better relationships, more pleasant emotions, and more constructive behavioral intentions than does equivalent negative feedback.