Feedback Concept in the Organizational Behavior Realm: A Review of Some Western Literature

Abstract

It is almost agreeable among those who have worked or observed organizations that feedback is an important concept. Its importance stems from the fact that it helps us to understand organizational behavior in general and organizational communication in particular. In this research, and based on a review of some of the feedback literature in both the cybernetics field and the organizational behavior field, it was found that there is little consensus on a single definition for the feedback concept. Also, it was found that there are major differences on the conceptualization of this concept's constructs, such as the positive feedback construct and the negative feedback construct. This research, also, reviews the major characteristics of the feedback concept which apply, in most cases, to social systems (e.g., persons, organizations). and shows that five major characteristics have been investigated: (1) feedback goals, (2) feedback types, (3) feedback dimensions, (4) feedback sources and (5) feedback Functions. While discussing these characteristics, attention was drawn to some of the insights found by the researchers in their attempt to investigate these characteristics.