Pains and gains of feedback source: the dual effects of subordinates’ feedback-seeking events on leaders’ work engagement

Despite the well documented research on workplace feedback-seeking behavior from the seeker’s perspective, limited attention has been devoted to the feedback source—the individual providing the feedback. Drawing from the affective events theory (AET), we developed a theoretical model and examined the potential impacts on leaders (i.e., the feedback source) when asked for feedback by subordinates. We conducted a 5-day experience sampling study with 106 leaders. Research findings revealed that subordinates’ feedback-seeking events (SFSE) was positively related to leaders’ positive and negative affect; SFSE had a positive indirect effect on leaders’ daily work engagement through increased positive affect, and a negative indirect effect through increased negative affect. In addition, the relationship between SFSE and affective reactions was moderated by emotion suppression, such that leaders with higher levels of emotion suppression experienced less positive affect elicited by SFSE. This study helps to enrich the workplace feedback-seeking literature by examining how and when responding to feedback seeking influences feedback sources’ emotional and work experiences.