The FIRO-B™: 360-degree Review and Manager Ratings

One common use for the FIRO-B is executive, manager, or leader development in organizations. More and more organizations use 360-degree ratings or feedback for the same purpose. The question that naturally arises is "what is the overlap between the two systems?"

Researchers compared the results from a 360-degree review and the FIRO-B for 399 managers in a leadership program to see how they compared. Here's what they found when they looked at the self ratings:

Expressed Inclusion had an influence on leading subordinates, putting people at ease, flexibility, developing relationships, and compassion and sensitivity. Decisiveness was related to Expressed Control. On the other hand, Wanted Control was reflected in trouble directing staff and making strategic changes.

Expressed Affection was related to developing relationships, resourcefulness, compassion, self-awareness, and flexibility. The researchers found an inverse relationship between Expressed Affection and interpersonal problems or directing staff. In other words, those high in Expressed Affection were less likely to have trouble with subordinates.

Wanted Affection was positively correlated to putting people at ease, compassion, and sensitivity. Like Expressed Affection, there was an inverse relationship between Wanted Affection and staff problems.

Interestingly, there were no significant relationships between subordinate and superior ratings and the FIRO-B. The only peer rating that was significant was Expressed Affection and putting people at ease.

From the above we can see that the self ratings have the most significance when comparing 360-degree feedback and the FIRO-B. This makes great sense, as the FIRO-B is also a self-report instrument. Still, there were not that many areas where the two measurement systems overlapped. They do measure different things, so we should not expect a great deal of overlap. Still, the pattern that emerges follows what we have seen in other studies of the FIRO-B.