Cultural differences in newcomer feedback seeking: A comparison of the United States and Hong Kong

Research on newcomer feedback seeking may be based on assumptions that are not universally valid: that newcomers are self-assertive, that they perceive their boss as approachable (low power distance), and that they need to be proactive to obtain the information that they need (informal, individual socialisation process). In this study, individuals from the United States reported more newcomer feedback inquiry than individuals from Hong Kong. This difference was related to cultural differences in self-assertiveness and power distance. These results suggest that some of the implicit assumptions about newcomer feedback seeking may be less valid outside of the US. In particular, newcomers within low-individualism and high power distance societies may be less likely to rely on supervisor-focused feedback inquiry for reducing uncertainty and managing their performance.