The Mediating Effect of Trust in Supervisors in the Relationship between Constructive Performance Feedback and Perceived Fairness of Performance Appraisal

This research addressed two main research questions: (1) Is constructive performance feedback positively related to perceived fairness of performance appraisal? (2) Does trust in supervisors mediate the relationship between constructive performance feedback and the perception of a performance appraisal as being fair? Using the 2018 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey dataset, we employed the structural equation model to analyze the relationship. Findings revealed that constructive performance feedback and trust in supervisors were positively and significantly associated with perceived fairness of performance appraisal. Further, trust in supervisors partially mediated the relationship between constructive performance feedback and perceived fairness of performance appraisal.