| Summary: | Leadership development has become a focal area for most organisations today in an
attempt to ensure that leaders are able to take them into the future and achieve a
competitive advantage. Literature reveals that, among others, one of the most popular
initiatives in leadership development includes the use 360-degree feedback.
Due to the sensitivity and challenge of giving and receiving 360 degree feedback, it is
essential to understand the subjective experience of manager's who have recently
undergone the process as well as the factors which influence and are influenced by the
process.
To achieve this, a grounded theory study was conducted in a large manufacturing
organisation. The data was collected through focus group interviews with a voluntary
sample of senior managers who had participated in a 360 degree feedback process.
The outcomes of the study include a definition of "subjective experience" as well as a
substantive theory on the subjective experience of 360-degree feedback as a tool in
leadership development. Findings indicate that individual's reactions coupled with the
perception of both the accuracy and utility of the process are key contributors which form
the essence of "subjective experience".
Past experience, present information and context were further identified to be key
intervening variables of a manager's subjective experience of 360-degree feedback as a
tool in leadership development.
A number of limitations within this study are explained and recommendations for future
research and organisations are provided. === Industrial and Organisational Psychology === M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)
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