While feedback is considered to be among the most effective motivational tools available in organizations, there is substantial evidence that leaders are often poor sources of feedback. Following poor subordinate performance, leaders have been shown to avoid providing feedback, delay providing feedback, and distort feedback to make it less negative. While these findings are strong, there is evidence that this ‘mum’ effect may be limited by certain boundary conditions. A 2×2 experimental study was designed to determine the extent to which leader performance attributions (effort and ability) and outcome dependence (high and low) affected the frequency, latency, and type of feedback provided to poor performers. The results suggest that the feedback offered to poor performers by leaders is significantly affected by both performance attributions and outcome dependence.
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Moss et al. (1998) studied this question.