Development rather than judgement: supervisor developmental feedback and employees’ thriving at work and performance

Purpose Supervisors play a crucial role in helping employees navigate complexities and uncertainties by providing personalized guidance and support. Based on affective events theory, we developed and tested a model to understand how and when supervisor developmental feedback contributes to employee thriving and performance. Design/methodology/approach Using a daily diary methodology, the study collected data from 109 full-time employees over 10 consecutive working days, resulting in 911 daily observations. Findings Our findings indicate that supervisor developmental feedback positively influences employee cognitive reappraisal, which in turn leads to increased daily thriving and improved in-role and extra-role performance on the following workday. Furthermore, employees’ perceptions of their supervisor’s resource orchestration capability strengthened the positive relationship between feedback and cognitive reappraisal. Originality/value This study provides valuable practical insights into how supervisor feedback and cognitive reappraisal influence employee thriving and performance. Organizations can use these findings to optimize supervisory practices and foster a supportive and thriving work environment.