Self-Esteem as a Moderator of the Effect of Confidence in Performance Appraisals on Managerial Work Attitudes.

No study has yet examined whether self-esteem moderates the impact of performance-appraisal confidence on work attitudes. In Australia, 103 middle managers working for a variety of organizations, both public and private, completed the 5-item scale of general confidence in performance appraisal. Work attitudes were measured by a scale consisting of three 7-point subscales assessing job involvement, work motivation, and job satisfaction. A stepwise multiple regression was conducted to test whether self-esteem interacts with confidence in determining differences in work attitudes, with the interaction term entered after the main effects of confidence and self-esteem had been assessed. Results suggest that, for these managers, work attitudes are positively affected both by their confidence in performance appraisals and by their self-esteem. Also, the impact of confidence on work attitudes appears to be moderated by self-esteem, with the attitudes of low self-esteem managers affected more by confidence than those of high self-esteem managers.