Subordinates' reactions to performance appraisal interviews: A test of feedback and goal-setting techniques.

Compared the effectiveness of 4 appraisal interview conditions with 60 corporate research team leaders and 203 subordinates. Three training conditions (feedback, feedback plus assigned goal setting, and assigned goal setting) and a control group were randomly structured for the team leaders. Pre- and posttraining evaluations of subordinates' reactions to appraisal interviews were obtained. The pretraining responses were factor analyzed, and 5 appraisal interview reaction factors emerged: Equity, Accuracy, Clarity, Motivational Impact, and Anxiety. MANOVA, t-tests and the Scheffé test indicated that some of the training interventions were superior to the control group with regard to Equity, Accuracy, and Clarity. Subordinate anxiety was higher in the 2 groups in which the leaders used assigned goal setting. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)