Self-other agreement: Does it really matter?

A current controversy in the self-other rating and 360-degree feedback literature is the extent to which self-other agreement (and lack of agreement) has an impact on individual and organizational outcomes. Using a large sample and a multi-source data set, the current study addressed some methodological limitations of prior research. Results from polynomial regression analyses demonstrated that both self- and other ratings are related to performance outcomes. This procedure revealed the underlying three-dimensional relationship between self-ratings, other ratings, and effectiveness. Findings indicate that the relationship between self-ratings, other ratings and outcomes are somewhat more complex than previous conceptualizations in this area. Simultaneous consideration of both self- and other ratings in terms of the direction and magnitude of self- and other ratings is important for explaining effectiveness outcomes.