Virtual and Traditional Feedback-Seeking Behaviors: Underlying Competitive Attitudes and Consequent Grade Performance

The electronic medium continues to play an increasingly important role in the delivery of management education despite a paucity of empirical studies on its impact and efficacy. Results from a study of competitive attitudes and feedback‐seeking behaviors across seven “hybrid” electronic cum live classes showed that Kiasu‐Negative (a competitive attitude directed at preventing others from getting ahead of oneself) and Kiasu‐Positive (a competitive attitude directed at personal diligence to get ahead of others) ( Hwang, Ang, & Francesco, 2002 ) were related to two electronic discussion board feedback‐seeking behaviors. These feedback‐seeking behaviors, in turn, were related to grade performance as measured by multiple‐choice tests. Traditional feedback‐seeking measures of asking the professor in class or outside the class, and checking with fellow students for their views on class topics did not have a positive influence on multiple‐choice test performance. In light of these findings, educators should consider how best to encourage participation on electronic discussion boards for hybrid type courses, while researchers should further examine the underlying causes of learning from such electronic exchanges. Other implications of these findings are also discussed.