360° feedback: a critical enquiry

Abstract

Purpose -The underpinning assumption in the adoption of 3608 feedback is that it heightens an individual's self-awareness by highlighting differences between how participants see themselves and how others see them. This statement implies that awareness motivates development and improves performance. This paper critically examines the introduction of 3608 feedback in the civil service, drawing on the experiences of the Patent Office and taking account of the wider context of civil service modernisation. Design/methodology/approach -The case study gathered data through a series of interviews and questionnaires. It sought the perceptions and experiences of management and participants in relation to the implementation process and the outcomes of the scheme. Findings -At an organisational level the use of 3608 feedback, as a performance management tool, failed to develop the self-awareness anticipated. Neither was it found to be aligned with other development plans or the organisation's core competencies. At an individual level some participants believed that they achieved little from the process overall and this may be related to an expectation that the organisation's HRM system would be more proactive in planning development action on their behalf. Practical implications -This research reflects the situation in one organisation. It is argued that the findings will have relevance for the wider civil service as the agenda for organisational efficiency, target setting, and performance improvement gathers momentum. Originality/value -This paper takes a critical perspective on whether HR developments such as 3608 feedback have a deep-seated strategic rationale. It also explores the relationship between 3608 feedback and the new public management.

Performance Management: A Scoping Review of the Literature and an Agenda for Future Research

“…In total, 20 of these 33 articles (about 8.70% of our sample) examined multiple raters of performance. Many of these articles examined the full 360-degree feedback process where self, peer, manager, and subordinate ratings were used (Morgan, Cannan, & Cullinane, 2005). Some studies used a broader definition of 360-degree feedback to include external customer ratings (Haines & St-Onge, 2012; Selvarajan & Cloninger, 2012).…”

Greener workplace: understanding senior management's adoption decisions through the Theory of Planned Behaviour

“…There are many who suggest that organisational readiness is important in adoption behaviour, such as having computerbased HR information systems (Teo et al 2007), 360°feedback (Morgan et al 2005) or workplace diversity (McCuiston et al 2004). Organisational readiness can be viewed as operational readiness, financial readiness, staffing readiness, technical readiness and knowledge readiness.…”

The Opportunistic Principal

“…The discipline of economics can contribute here with the identification, study and review of institutional arrangements that have the potential of solving opportunism games in which also the principal defects by shaping the payoff structure in suitable ways. These include but are not limited to, institutions that fulfill one or more of the following purposes: Enhance the transparency to lower transactions costs of using the market mechanism and to optimize firm‐specific investments of human capital, like for example online rating platforms for employers (DeKay, ; Symitsi et al, ), enhance the transparency to lower transaction costs and reduce power asymmetries within hierarchies like for example human resource management systems that include 360‐degree feedback processes (Bracken et al, ; Morgan et al, ) or agile management approaches (Abrahamsson et al, ; Jalali, and Wohlin, ; Sutherland, ), enforce and develop property rights not only of principals but also of agents, for example with a corresponding corporate culture (Collins, ; Schein, ), or specific approaches to leadership and management like autonomy enhancing paternalism (Binder and Lades, ). redefine property rights within the organization to reduce power asymmetries and increase participation of agents in decision‐making processes, for example with participatory approaches in the tradition of “New Work” (Bergmann, ; Laloux, ), with approaches to democratic corporate design (Boes et al, ), or with maturing institutions of traditional codetermination (Jirjahn et al, ), redefine property rights within and from outside the organization to protect agents from principal opportunism, for example through policies and legislation addressing workplace abuse (Duffy, , Wewers, ). …”