Mere measurement effect

Gong et al. (2017) found differential effects of the FSB types on performance, role clarity, and social integration. While employees’ performance was measured by managers, employees themselves rated their own sense of role clarity and social integration. For their study, goal orientation was sufficient in explaining the direction of the study outcomes. However, this study aims to see what sort of effects the different feedback seeking types will have on customer-FLE and customer-firm relationships. As customers will be asked to rate FLEs on outcomes of the different FSB types, it was necessary to identify a mechanism that would explain differential effects in the service interaction context.

Morwitz et al. (1993) find that merely asking an intent question can change behaviour. Their research specifically found that when customers were asked about purchase intentions in a survey, it precipitated cognitive work that made their attitudes

towards the purchase more readily available, which in turn caused a change in behaviour. This phenomenon has also been found in a study by Chapman (2001) to explain the relationship between measuring intent and the accessibility of previously unmeasured attitudes. This mechanism is known as the mere measurement effect. Mere measurement effects have been found in previous studies to be driven by Feldman and Lynch’s (1988) self-generated validity theory (Chandon et al., 2005). Self-generated validity theory has two main arguments: responding to questions regarding pre-existing attitudes makes these attitudes accessible in memory so that the respondent forms judgments on these attitudes; and having these pre-existing attitudes more accessible compared to other cognitive inputs, leads to future behaviour consistent with the pre-existing intentions (Chandon et al., 2005).

The relevance of mere measurement effects in marketing strategies has been demonstrated in several studies. For example, Dholakia and Morwitz (2002) found that asking satisfied (dissatisfied) customers to respond to a satisfaction survey resulted in higher (lower) purchase intentions, and higher (lower) relational behaviour- defection rates, number of accounts, and profitability. Additionally, these effects were found to persist for a significant amount of time following the survey responses. The authors explain that responses to satisfaction surveys are induced by the task of filling the survey rather than formed beforehand, such that upon answering the survey, the specific attitude concerning the service experience becomes more salient, and customers are more likely to behave in ways that are consistent with either their positive or negative responses (Dholakia and Morwitz, 2002).

While Dholakia and Morwitz (2002) show mere measurement effects where subsequent intentions are consistent with the valence of already established satisfaction levels, Bone et al. (2017) find that positively framing open-ended

questions on customer feedback surveys increases the accessibility of positive experiences and thus positively biases purchase intentions. The implication of their research was that firms could proactively shape the attitudes and behaviours of their customers to their benefit by positively seeking feedback on the customer’s experiences. However, one limitation of this study is that it did not explore if there could also be a negative bias in attitudes and intentions if open-ended customer feedback surveys were negatively framed. Thus, this study builds on previous work of mere measurement effects to show that there may be differential effects of an FLE’s FSB towards customers on relational outcomes. Using mere measurement effects as a supporting mechanism, this study also aims to show that FLEs themselves can be proactive in shaping customer’s attitudes in order to reach their professional goals.

Table 2.3: Sample Findings of the Impact of FSB on Performance

Study Sample Industry/Country Proactive Behaviour(s) Performance

Measure

Main Finding of Proactivity Effect on Performance Ashford and Black (1996) 69 recent MBA graduates Various (financial services, consulting, manufacturing, marketing)/ USA Feedback seeking, information seeking, job- change negotiating, positive framing, relationship building Self-reported performance where participants rate themselves relative to colleagues on a percentage basis based on recent work

evaluation.

Only positive framing and relationship building had a direct positive significant relationship with performance.

Ashford et al. (2018)

422 top management team members from 65 firms

Various/ USA,

Belgium

Feedback seeking Average of top management team members’ evaluations of firm performance (scale measure)

CEO feedback seeking had a significant positive relationship with firm performance.

Auh et al. (2019) Study 2: Matched responses between 133 employees and 40 managers Clothing Retail/ Turkey

Feedback seeking Supervisor-rated performance evaluation (scale measure)

Feedback seeking was positively related to performance, and this relationship was enhanced when employees’ job satisfaction was low. Chen et al. (2007) Matched responses of 238 employees and their supervisors

Automobile/ China Feedback seeking (negative)

Archival company data and supervisor performance evaluation (scale measure)

Negative feedback seeking had a positive and significant

relationship with performance, and partially mediated the positive relationship between LMX and performance.

Dahling et al. (2012)

Matched responses of 199 MBA students (working part-time) and their supervisors.

Various/ USA Political skill, feedback seeking

Supervisor-rated performance evaluation (scale measure)

Political skill strengthened the positive relationship between image enhancement motives and performance, mediated by feedback seeking. Dimotakis et al. (2017) 126 employees Telecommunications/ USA

Feedback seeking Performance measured as career progression; data from company records

There was a significant positive link from employees receiving positive feedback to better career progression mediated by self- efficacy and feedback seeking. Gong et al.

(2017)

Study 2: matched responses between 176 employees and their supervisors

Manufacturing/

China

Feedback seeking Supervisor-rated performance evaluation (scale measure)

Self-negative (self-positive) feedback seeking was positively (negatively) related to job performance. Other positive feedback seeking was positively related to performance. Lam et al. (2007) Study 2: Matched responses of 240 employees and 84 immediate supervisors.

Automobile/ China Feedback seeking (negative)

Archival company data

Supervisors’ perceptions of employees’ performance enhancement and impression management motives

strengthened the positive relationship between feedback seeking and performance, mediated by LMX quality. Lam et al.

(2015)

Matched responses of 379 teachers and their supervisors in 13 schools.

Education/ China Feedback seeking Performance data from school records and Supervisor-rated performance

Feedback seeking has a positive relationship with performance. This relationship was

strengthened when individual and group LMX quality was low.

evaluation (scale measure) Menguc et al. (2007) 154 newcomer salespeople. Various (manufacturing equipment, electronics and computers, heavy machinery, construction materials chemicals)/ South Korea Feedback seeking, information seeking, relationship building, network building. Self-evaluated sales performance (scale measure)

Feedback seeking had a positive significant effect on performance.

Porath and Bateman (2006)

88 salespeople. IT/USA Feedback seeking Archival company

data (% of sales quota)

Feedback seeking, proactive behaviour, social competence, and emotional control mediated the positive relationship between learning and performance-prove orientations.

Wu et al. (2013) Matched pairs of 419 employee-colleague responses about 179 employees Consulting/ Netherlands Feedback seeking (inquiry) Peer-rated performance evaluation (scale measure)

Feedback inquiry mediated the positive relationship between attachment anxiety and performance. This relationship was stronger for employees with higher attachment anxiety.