Fostering a strong feedback culture in organizations : a case study on the feedback culture at KPMG

Abstract

Providing effective informal feedback to employees in organizations can improve employee job performance and strengthen organizational feedback culture. However, regularly providing formative feedback is a managerial skill that requires conscious effort and dedication to master. Receiving, processing and utilizing feedback to improve one’s performance is also a skill that employees must harness to make the most of the feedback they receive. The current study uses a methodological framework, developed by Warman, Laws, Crowther, & Baillie, (2014), to measure and improve feedback cultures at the Reykjavík office of KPMG. The framework was adapted to fit the structure the company. Initiatives were designed to positively influence feedback culture levels at KPMG and employees were surveyed on chosen feedback culture variables to test for significant differences in scores, using an independent-sample t-test analysis. Survey results were also used to assess the company’s feedback culture. The study finds that KPMG employees are qualified and capable of maintaining a strong feedback cultures, but formative feedback is scarcely provided. The study hypothesizes that a lack of a trusting climate within the organization is the reason for this stalemate, and proposes a conceptual framework to support KPMG’s management in fostering a feedback-friendly culture (Baker, Perreault, Reid, & Blanchard, 2013).