Stéphane Brutus

Self-other rating agreement and leader effectiveness

This study examined relationships between two models of self-other rating agreement and leader effectiveness. Using differences between self- and subordinate ratings, managers (N = 2,056) were first categorized into four groups: over-estimators (who rated themselves higher than others rated them); under-estimators (who rated themselves lower than others rated them); in-agreement/good raters (whose self-ratings were favorable and similar to the ratings of others); and, in-agreement/poor raters (whose self-ratings were unfavorable and similar to the ratings of others) (Atwater & Yammarino, in press). Then, managers were classified using a six group model (Brutus, Fleenor,& Taylor, 1996), which introduced a further distinction—over-estimators/good, and under-estimators/poor. With the four group model, superiors appeared to rate in-agreement/good raters and under-estimators as more effective than over-estimators. However, with the six group model, in-agreement/good raters and under-estimator/good raters were not seen as more effective than over-estimator/good raters. The results suggested that six groups are necessary to fairly compare agreement groups.

Self-Reported Limitations and Future Directions in Scholarly Reports Analysis and Recommendations

The authors content analyzed self-reported limitations and directions for future research in 1,276 articles published between 1982 and 2007 in the Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, the Journal of Applied Psychology, the Journal of Management, and the Strategic Management Journal. In order of frequency, the majority of self-reported limitations, as well as directions for future research, pertains to threats to internal, external, and construct validity issues, and there is a significant increase in the reporting of these elements over time. Longitudinal analyses revealed that some of these increases varied across management subfields (i.e., business policy and strategy, organizational behavior, organizational theory, and human resource management), indicating unique research contexts within some research domains. Based on the analyses of self-reported limitations and future research directions, the authors offer eight guidelines for authors, reviewers, and editors. These guidelines refer to the need for authors to report limitations and to use a separate section for them and the need for reviewers to list limitations in their evaluations of manuscripts; authors and reviewers should prioritize limitations, and authors should report them in a way that describes their consequences for the interpretation of results. The guidelines for directions for future research focus on positioning them as a starting point for future research endeavors and for the advancement of theoretical issues. The authors also offer recommendations on how to use limitations and future research directions for the training of researchers. It is hoped that the adoption of these proposed guidelines and recommendations will maximize their value so that they can serve as true catalysts for further scientific progress in the field of management.

Receptivity to Assessment-Based Feedback for Management Development

Research on feedback acceptance typically has not focused on feedback given in developmental contexts nor has this research used sources other than self‐reports to measure feedback acceptance. This study examined recipient characteristics as influences on receptivity to management development feedback. Racial similarity of the feedback recipient and giver was the most consistent predictor of receptivity. Self‐report, feedback giver, and outsider ratings of receptivity evidenced little congruence. Implications for understanding receptivity in developmental contexts are discussed.

Does 360-degree Feedback Work in Different Industries? A Between-Industry Comparison of the Reliability and Validity of Multi-source Performance Ratings.

In order to determine the usefulness of multi‐source rating in different types of organizations, this study explored differences among organization types in four areas: leniency, interrater agreement, relationships between these ratings and effectiveness, and the relationship between agreement and effectiveness. Used self, subordinate, peer, and supervisor ratings for 1,080 target managers in six types of organizations: education, military, government, manufacturing, finance, and health. Interrater agreement was measured in three ways: an index of variance, a point‐difference categorization method, and categories of self‐other agreement. Results indicated that a leniency bias was present in educational institutions, after controlling for demographic characteristics. Interrater agreement was lowest in government agencies and highest in education and manufacturing organizations. In private sector organizations, more poor‐performing managers tended to over‐estimate their performance relative to the perceptions of others. Interrater agreement was positively related to effectiveness especially in education and finance organizations. Results suggest that multi‐source feedback may work differently in different types of organizations, and such differences may need to be taken into account by researchers, practitioners, and feedback recipients.

The impact of 360‐degree feedback on planning for career development

This study focused on the relationship between 360‐degree (multi‐source) survey feedback to managers and subsequent selection of development goals. We hypothesized that performance ratings would be negatively related to setting development goals, that supervisor ratings would have a greater effect than ratings from peers or subordinates in the selection of developmental goals, and that self‐other discrepancies would be related to goal selection. Data from 2,163 managers showed that multi‐source feedback contributed to the selection of developmental goals. However, contrary to expectations, subordinate ratings were most important to goal setting compared to ratings from any other sources. Direct feedback itself affected goal selection, not its relationship to self‐perceptions. For several goals, the relationship between performance ratings and goal selection was stronger for lower level managers. Implications of the results for the practice of 360‐degree feedback and related research are discussed.

Internationalization of multi-source feedback systems: a six-country exploratory analysis of 360-degree feedback

In the past few years, few human resource practices have received as much attention as multi-source feedback systems (MSFSs). In the US and Canada, it is estimated that over one-third of organizations are using some form of MSFS and recent surveys show that this practice is still gaining popularity. Concurrently, a substantial amount of literature has focused on the effectiveness of this performance management practice. However, while few would dispute the popularity of MSFS, relatively little has been published on the use of these systems outside North America and thus little is known about their form and effectiveness in international contexts. This paper outlines the results of an international survey of MSFS. Interview data from HR managers and consultants from Argentina, Australia, China, Slovakia, Spain and the UK demonstrate that MSFS are being implemented, in slightly different ways, in each of these six countries. The main challenges in the application of MSFS in these various countries are the communication efforts necessary before and after implementation, and the inherent difficulty in giving and receiving feedback. The results of this study also provide data as to the perceived future of MSFS in each of the countries surveyed.

Manager attention to multisource feedback

Although research on multisource ratings indicates that different rater sources provide different information, little research has investigated how ratees attend to such information. Understanding how ratees attend to feedback information from different rater sources is important because such attention likely impacts subsequent behavior. Using a policy‐capturing design, managers (n = 213) completed scenarios in which supervisor, peer, and subordinate ratings were varied across different performance dimensions. Results indicated that ratees attended to all three rater sources, with supervisor ratings being attended to more than peer or subordinate ratings. Further, results indicated a significant interaction between rater source and performance dimension such that some rater sources were attended to more, for certain dimensions, than for others.

Workplace Integrity: Differences in Perceptions of Behaviors and Situational Factors

Pre-employment integrity tests assume differences between honest and dishonest individuals in their perceptions of the degree of dishonesty of given behaviors. This exploratory study investigated whether individuals classified as dishonest by an overt integrity test had different perceptions of the honesty of behaviors than those classified as honest. Differences in perceptions of situational factors promoting or deterring honesty were also examined. Dishonest individuals had different perceptions of behaviors and situations than honest individuals, suggesting that the relative influence of situational interventions may vary with the general integrity of a workforce.

The impact of interdependence on performance evaluations: the mediating role of discomfort with performance appraisal

This study investigates the link between interdependence, discomfort with conducting performance appraisal and subsequent evaluation tendency. Interdependence, an individual-level cultural value, was hypothesized to be related to discomfort, which, in turn, was expected to be related to evaluation leniency. Our results indicate a positive relationship between interdependence and evaluation leniency. Moreover, the data collected also confirmed the mediating role of discomfort in this relationship. These results highlight the impact that cultural background can have on performance appraisals. We discuss the implications of these results for performance appraisal and propose future areas of research on how other cultural aspects can influence evaluators discomfort and subsequent evaluations.

Attitudes Toward Affirmative Action in the United States and Canada

Attitudes toward affirmative action programs were investigated using a U.S. sample, an English speaking Canadian sample, and a French speaking Canadian sample. Results indicate that cultural influences in the form of individualism-collectivism were small but that ethnic and linguistic memberships were major influences on attitudes toward those programs.