IMPROVING SUPERVISORY PERFORMANCE THROUGH FEEDBACK FROM SUBORDINATES (SURVEY, MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT, EMPLOYEE)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of subordinate feedback on supervisory performance. Specifically, the study was designed to answer three questions: (1) Would supervisors improve their performance if they were provided with feedback from subordinates? (2) Would supervisors improve their performance if they were provided with self-study materials to develop supervisory skills in addition to survey feedback from subordinates? (3) Would supervisors improve their performance if they were provided with self-study materials only and not survey feedback from subordinates? In order to answer these questions a study was conducted at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, during the 1984-85 academic year. Forty-five career service supervisors at the college were the subjects of the study. These individuals were the immediate supervisors of employees who were engaged in technical, clerical, skilled craft, or service/maintenance work. A pretest-posttest experimental control group design was used in the study. The 45 supervisors were divided into four groups. Supervisors assigned to experimental group E1 received survey feedback from subordinates and self-study materials to develop supervisory skills. Supervisors in experimental group E2 received only survey feedback. Supervisors in experimental group E3 received only the self-study materials. Supervisors in control group C received neither feedback nor the self-study materials. The Survey of Management Practices was used by employees to rate supervisory performance on both the pretest and the posttest. Posttest surveys were completed by subordinates approximately 16 weeks after treatment began. Analysis of covariance was used to adjust posttest scores for pretest differences between the groups and to analyze the significance of the results. No significant differences were found between the four groups. The major implications of the study are that subordinate feedback, or a combination of self-study materials and subordinate feedback, are not sufficient to improve supervisory performance and that most supervisors do not expend the necessary effort to improve performance without positive pressure being applied. Based upon the data from the study and previous research cited, the researcher believes that three elements are needed to change supervisory behavior: (1) feedback from subordinates, (2) training, and (3) positive pressure.