Feedback Quality and Job Performance: The Roles of Feedback Seeking and Gender Similarity in Entrepreneurial Firms

This study investigates the relationship between feedback quality (FQ), feedback-seeking behavior (FSB), and job performance (JP), incorporating the moderating role of gender similarity. Considering samples from two industries, oil/petrochemical and banking in Iran, the organizations selected in these industries were among those that exhibited entrepreneurial behavior and could be considered entrepreneurial organizations. Also, using LISREL, Sobel, and SPSS software to analyze the data collected by questionnaires, four of the hypotheses of this research were confirmed. The findings show that high-quality feedback positively impacts job performance and enhances feedback-seeking behavior. Moreover, feedback-seeking behavior acts as a mediator between feedback quality and job performance. While gender similarity was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between feedback quality and feedback-seeking behavior, the results did not support this role; however, gender similarity independently influenced feedback-seeking behavior. These findings underscore the importance of providing high-quality, actionable feedback and fostering environments encouraging feedback-seeking for performance improvement. So, this study has clarified the complex relations between feedback quality, feedback-seeking behavior, job performance, and gender similarity and has contributed to a more accurate understanding of how these factors influence each other. From the practical point of view, designing feedback systems that emphasize quality, training managers to deliver constructive feedback, and addressing gender dynamics in workplace interactions can lead to improved job performance.