Should 360-degree Feedback Be Only Used For Developmental Purposes?

Preface

George P. Hollenbeck

In the fall of 1995 I was one of the lucky ones David Bracken called when he was seeking participants for a program at the 1996 annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) in San Diego. David was putting together a program that would deal with the tension between two main uses of 360-degree feedback: using it as a development tool for “assessed” managers and executives versus using it for administrative decision-making—serious things such as pay, promotion, and who goes on the fast track. David’s thought was that a debate at SIOP would be lively and informative and would get the issues out on the table. He sensed that the time was ripe.

How right he was: 360-degree feedback has ...