„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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INTERPERSONAL FEEDBACK:
PROBLEMS AND RECONCEPTUALIZATION
Raymond V. Rasmussen
In the field of cybernetics, the term “feedback” is used to describe an essential
component of self-regulating devices (Ruben, 1972). A thermostat is a familiar example.
In human relations, “feedback” has been used to refer to a process of information
gathering and correction: One person feeds back his or her perceptions of another person
so that the second person can make his or her social or work behavior more effective.
A number of writers have said that giving and receiving feedback is one of the most
important processes in group dynamics (Devine, 1976; DiBerardinis, 1978; Hanson,
1973; Lundgren & Schaeffer, 1976). Schein and Bennis (1965) have stated that
practically all human learning is based on obtaining information about performance
(feedback) and then determining how far the performance deviates from a desired goal.
According to these authors, feedback shakes up or “unfreezes” people by creating a
perceived threat to their self-concepts. The unfreezing process elicits a need for change.
Support for this notion comes from a review of the T-group literature by Campbell and
Dunnette (1968), who found that the reception of negative feedback stimulates a group
member to alter his or her level of self-satisfaction and to try new behaviors.
Feedback is also a widely prescribed strategy in the management literature
(Hackman & Oldham, 1976; Luthans & Kreitner, 1975; Tosi & Carroll, 1970). The
utility of interpersonal feedback in the organization has been explained by several
writers. For example, Myers and Myers (1973) state that in order to be effective in an
organization, people need to know how their behavior impacts others. Solomon (1977)
has stated:
Feedback...can help an individual become more effective in his interpersonal relations, on-the-job
behavior, and task accomplishment. If a person’s behavior is not having desirable or intended
effects, he can change it. Without feedback, the impact of his behavior on others may never be
fully or accurately known. (p. 185)
Although feedback has many potential benefits, it also seems clear that it does not
always work in practice. Pfeiffer and Jones (1972) have stated that unrestricted,
untethered truth can create high levels of anxiety and can cause people to become less
able to accomplish their goals; Solomon (1977) suggested that feedback can lead to
long-term reprisals; Lundgren and Schaeffer (1976) found that negative feedback was
Originally published in The 1984 Annual: Developing Human Resources by J. William Pfeiffer and Leonard D. Goodstein (Eds.), San
Diego, CA: Pfeiffer & Company.
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The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer