Subordinate participation and reactions to the appraisal interview

Abstract

Conducted 2 studies which examined relationships of subordinate participation in an appraisal interview to reactions to the appraisal and subordinate satisfaction. In Study 1, 25 managers rated their last appraisal on (a) helpfulness and (b) the Wexley et al measure of psychological participation, and then rated their overall satisfaction with supervision. The lack of significant intercorrelations among the psychological participation items indicated that different concepts of participation were represented. Items representing participation in interaction correlated significantly with appraisal helpfulness and satisfaction, while control of goal setting did not correlate significantly. In a 2nd field study, 56 hourly employees and 1st-level managers in a bank rated (a) their appraisal on certain characteristics, (b) their satisfaction with the appraisal, and (c) their job satisfaction. The invitation to participate was most predictive of appraisal satisfaction. The occurrence of goal setting correlated significantly with both appraisal and job satisfaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)