When goals waltz together: how (in)consistent performance feedback on multiple complementary goals affects performance improvements in the public sector

Prior performance feedback research has mostly adopted the sole-goal perspective, neglecting complexities engendered by performance feedback on multiple interrelated goals. This research sets out to fill this gap by studying how performance feedback on multiple complementary goals affects public organizations’ subsequent performance improvements. We theorize that both consistent positive performance feedback and consistent negative performance feedback positively affect performance improvements, while inconsistent performance feedback exerts a negative impact. Based on the case of a prominent performance evaluation scheme for government social media (Weibo) in China, our empirical analyses with panel data from 292 prefecture-level cities yield robust supporting evidence.