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3.2.2 360-Degree Feedback

Purpose 

360-degree assessments, also known as multirater assessments, involve gathering feedback from multiple sources, such as the person being assessed (self-rating), supervisors, peers, and subordinates. Often, 360-degree feedback instruments have these qualities: multi-source feedback, anonymity, competency-based evaluation, and developmental focus. For leadership assessments, the process typically includes administering questionnaires designed to assess various leadership competencies (Tornow, 1993). The ratings and comments are usually collected anonymously and provided to the individual being assessed, often through an outside consultant or an internal/external administrator (Zaccaro et al., 1999). Benefits to using 360-degree assessments may include self-awareness, improvements in planning, and enhanced communication (Zenger and Folkman, 2020).

These instruments can be used for assessing individuals in various organizational settings, such as experienced managers (Benchmarks), leaders (LPI), and individuals undergoing training and development (The Profiler).

Description 

The 360-degree feedback system emerged in the late 1980s and 1990s through the contributions of multiple scholars, rather than having a single inventor. The growing importance of 360-degree feedback is reflected in special issues devoted to it by leading academic journals, such as the Human Resources Journal (Tornow, 1993) and Group & Organization Management (Church & Bracken, 1997).

Zaccaro et al. (1999) reported strong correlation between peer and supervisor ratings, indicating they were aligned in their evaluation of managers. However, self-ratings (by the managers themselves) showed only moderate agreement with both peer and supervisor ratings. This suggests a potential disconnect between how managers view their own performance and how others perceive them. The study also found that the type of job a manager holds can influence the agreement between self-ratings and observer ratings (peers and supervisors). This suggests that for certain types of jobs, self-assessment may be less reliable. Zaccaro et al., 1999 indicated that research suggests that feedback from peers and supervisors might be more consistent and reliable than self-assessment for evaluating managerial performance. Despite its popularity and benefits, 360-degree feedback has limitations, including its potential for bias, problems with feedback quality and consistency, the fact that it is time-consuming and resource-intensive, and its overemphasis on negative feedback (Smither et al., 2005).

Access 

Many 360-degree feedback tools are accessible via academic journals and research databases, including in the relevant articles listed in the references section. Prior to usage, permission from the authors or copyright holders may be necessary. Contact the authors directly or consult the articles for more information on the availability and permissions

References

Church, A. H., & Bracken, D. W. (1997). Advancing the state of the art of 360-degree feedback: Guest editors’ comments on the research and practice of multirater assessment methods. Group & Organization Management, 22(2), 149–161. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601197222002

Smither, J. W., London, M., & Reilly, R. R. (2005). Does performance improve following multisource feedback? A theoretical model, meta‐analysis, and review of empirical findings. Personnel Psychology, 58(1), 33–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.514_1.x

Zaccaro, S. J., Klimoski, R. J., Boyce, L. A., Chandler, C., Banks, D., & Gade, P. A. (1999). Developing a tool kit for the assessment of army leadership processes and outcomes: Version 1.0 (ARI Research Note 99-35). U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA368448.pdf

Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2020, December 23). What makes a 360-degree review successful? Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/12/what-makes-a-360-degree-review-successful

Tornow, W. W. (1993). Editor’s note: Introduction to special issue on 360-degree feedback. Human Resource Management, 32(2), 211. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.3930320202

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