When uncertainty counteracts feedback seeking:The effects of interpersonal uncertainty and power on direct feedback seeking

Individuals often do not seek as much performance feedback as they actually need in order to adapt to their environment and to improve their performance. The aim of the present research is to examine which individuals are less likely to seek feedback and what their underlying motives are. Across three studies, we argue and show that individuals are less likely to seek feedback when they experience high (vs. low) interpersonal uncertainty, particularly when they feel powerful. As expected, stronger ego- protective motives and weaker image-enhancement motives among powerful individuals who feel interpersonally uncertain explain these findings. The discussion focuses on how these findings contribute to the understanding and promotion of feedback seeking in organizations