Influence of Feedback Quality on Employee Learning Performance. Unpacking Psychological Mechanisms.

Author : Remmy D. Chuma

Abstract : Traditional performance evaluations are increasingly misaligned with employee needs, prompting a shift toward developmental feedback focused on growth and improvement, a trend widely noted in recent research. Drawing on Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT), this study introduces two key psychological mechanisms—learning efficacy and learning motivation—to examine how employees respond to supervisory feedback and enhance their learning performance. A survey-based design was employed, involving 239 full-time working adults in the United States. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping analyses (PROCESS Macro Model 6). Results showed that high-quality feedback directly improves employee learning performance. Furthermore, feedback quality boosts learning efficacy, which then increases learning motivation and, in turn, enhances performance. Analyses confirmed that both learning efficacy and learning motivation independently mediate this relationship, and also function as serial mediators. This study highlights how developmental feedback improves learning outcomes in the U.S. by boosting efficacy and motivation. It addresses a key literature gap by revealing these constructs as the psychological mechanisms linking feedback quality to performance within FIT.

Keywords : Feedback quality, learning efficacy, learning motivation, employee learning performance, developmental feedback.

Conference Name : International Conference on Human Resources, Management, Strategies and Development (ICHRMSD - 25)

Conference Place : Wuhan, China

Conference Date : 30th Dec 2025