Different developmental feedback, same employee performance improvement: The role of job crafting and supervisor social support

As a feedback form that emphasizes quality and includes developmental and informational components, supervisor developmental feedback has been shown to have a more positive impact on subordinates' personal growth and performance. However, there is limited empirical research that clarify the components of supervisor developmental feedback with different valence. This paper aims to investigate the underlying mechanism and boundary condition of the relationship between different developmental feedback and employee performance improvement. To do so, we utilize the job demands-resources model and the conservation of resources theory as our framework. Participants were recruited online from Credamo's full-time employee pool. Our study collected 259 surveys nested in China, employing a two-wave time-lagged method. Supervisor developmental feedback and supervisor support were measured at time 1, job crafting and job performance were measured at time 2. The measurement tools for the above variables are all derived from previous studies. The results indicate that positive supervisor developmental feedback has a mediated effect on employee job performance through promotion-oriented job crafting. This relationship is further influenced by supervisor support, with a stronger effect observed when supervisor support is high. On the other hand, the relationship between negative supervisor development feedback and employee performance through prevention-oriented job crafting will be moderated by supervisor support, and the above indirect effect completely reversed with different levels of supervisor support. The findings of this study have important theoretical and managerial implications, shedding light on the impact of different types of developmental feedback on employee performance outcomes.