Survey Feedback as a Large-Scale Change Device: An Empirical Examination

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Abstract
The impact of a data-feedback intervention on organizational attitudes and perceptions was examined. Low, medium, and high levels of supervisory mediation of feedback were compared with a control condition across nine scales from the Air Force's Organizational Assessment Package. The scales measuring supervisory character istics, task perceptions, goal clarity, and opportunity for advancement were shown to be affected by the intervention. In addition, the effects occurred only in those situations where the work group supervisor was perceived, by group members, as having fed back the data. Finally, a significant relationship was obtained between preintervention mea sures of supervisory characteristics and the propensity of the supervisor to provide feedback to the work group. Practical implications are discussed.