Performance feedback: A literature review and an empirical study

Abstract

Feedback is the most used independent variable in OBM research, it is cost effective, not intrusive and easy to implement. Article one presents a literature review on studies published in JOBM that investigates the effect of feedback. Applications of feedback are organized by feedback characteristics, and the consistency of effects, and compared to the results of the previous review. The results showed that feedback did not produce consistent effects and technological progress enables us to give feedback with new characteristics which calls for new categories of organization. Arguments were made that improvement is still needed regarding consistent use of the term feedback in JOBM. The studies in this review did not contain any feedback definitions, and many described the procedures accurately. Article 2 presents an empirical study on the effect of using performance feedback alone and combined with instruction to reduce engine idling in 8 truck drivers. Baseline was followed by feedback contingent on performance, then instruction followed, then feedback was removed. During the intervention average group idling went from 19,3% at baseline to 14,1% in the last experimental phase. The idling continued to decrease in 8 of 9 drivers during second baseline to 11,7%. From baseline to the end of the observation period, average group idling decreased with 39,3%. A lot of the improvement was due to one individual who nearly halved his idling levels.