Feedback at Work by Lisa A. Steelman & Jane R. Williams

Author:Lisa A. Steelman & Jane R. Williams
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030309152
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

The Role of Social Identity Theory in Feedback Seeking

Social identity theory (SIT) explains how individuals classify themselves and others into social groups using perceived prototypical characteristics and how they utilize these categorizations to navigate social settings such as the workplace (Ashforth & Mael, 1989; Tajfel & Turner, 1985). According to SIT, the self-concept is comprised of two parts: a personal identity encompassing idiosyncratic characteristics (e.g., bodily attributes, abilities, psychological traits, interests) and a social identity encompassing salient group classifications (Ashforth & Mael, 1989). Classifications frequently occur based on surface-level demographic characteristics such as race, age, or gender (Tajfel & Turner, 1985). These initial judgments can lead to identity-based subgroups in which individuals classify other members as belonging to their in-group by inferring similarity in deep-level characteristics (e.g., values, personality, attitudes; Carton & Cummings, 2013). The nature of these classifications has personal effects on individuals (e.g., personal racial identity, social identity, sense of belongingness) and on interpersonal interactions with individuals within and outside of the group (e.g., trust, cohesion, exclusion, prejudice; Tajfel & Turner, 1985). SIT has been useful in clarifying how group-based perceptions can affect important workplace processes including group dynamics and leadership (Hogg & Terry, 2000).

As previously mentioned, a growing trend promoted by scientists and practitioners is advocating for an unstructured approach for the provision of feedback at work. Many organizations are eliminating the use of annual appraisals (Pulakos & O’Leary, 2011). Researchers advise practitioners to focus on informal avenues of performance information such as feedback seeking or the conscious devotion of resources toward obtaining information about the correctness and adequacy of behaviors (Ashford & Cummings, 1983; Levy, Silverman, & Cavanaugh, 2015). While it has been well established that feedback seeking has implications for task performance, effective self-regulation at work, and social perceptions, the influence of social identity has not yet been extensively considered. We assert that the feedback literature, which de-emphasizes structured approaches in favor of socially based informal feedback seeking, would benefit from an integration with SIT to flesh out important influencing factors.

Our model identifies the overarching societal context and the more proximal work context involving interpersonal experiences related to bias and race as two central influences affecting the feedback-seeking process for employees of color (see Fig. 8.1). We explore the implications of these contexts for employees of color navigating the feedback-seeking process, with a focus on generating specific research questions, and offer areas of intervention and potential solutions for these concerns in the workplace.

Fig. 8.1Conceptual model of social identity and race influences on feedback seeking

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