The Influence of Individual and Contextual Variables on 360-Degree Feedback System Attitudes

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of individual and contextual variables on attitudes toward 360-degree feedback systems. It was hypothesized that individual differences as well as contextual factors would influence employees' receptivity to the implementation of a multirater appraisal system. Respondents were 52 employees from a manufacturing company and 23 employees from a telecommunications organization. All respondents had participated in the piloting of a multirater feedback system. The identified variables accounted for nearly 50% of the variance in 360-degree feedback system attitudes. These findings support the notion that organizations must begin to recognize the variety of needs of the workforce and understand the importance of providing a multitude of tools to improve performance. Further analyses indicated that contextual factors appear more important than personality in determining 360-degree attitudes. Implications for organizational practices are suggested along with areas of future research.