An examination of feedback-seeking behaviors, the feedback source and career success

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether individuals seeking feedback from either a supervisor or co-worker relate to intrinsic and extrinsic career success. Design/methodology/approach-Survey data were collected from 168 employees in three different organizations in the southeastern United States. Moderated multiple regression was used to test the hypotheses. Findings-Results support interactions of feedback seeking and feedback source (both supervisor and co-worker) to predict extrinsic career success. There was no support for the proposed interaction of feedback seeking and feedback source to predict intrinsic career success. Practical implications The results support the need for organizations to focus on developing feedback environments that encourage feedback-seeking behaviors. Individuals that desire more feedback and take initiative within their careers by seeking feedback may have positive outcomes related to extrinsic career success. Originality/value -he study is one of the few studies to evaluate feedback-seeking behaviors in relation to individual outcomes such as career success. The findings support proactive behaviors in relation to extrinsic career success and continue the call for more research related to proactive behaviors in the workplace.