On the definition of feedback
Abstract
The paper discusses the lack of a commonly accepted definition of the concept of feedback in management theory, dealing with communications networks and decision processes in living systems at the organization level. It proposes a general definition. It deals with living systems at the organization level, including the total system and all subsystems. Implications of the proposed definition to current conceptualizations of feedback processes in management are explored.
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When the language of feedback was adopted in education, it became used in a pre-industrial sense to mean information provided to students intended to influence what they do without any necessary mechanism to ensure that the information was utilised.
“It is ironic then, that when the language of feedback was finally adopted in education, despite attempts by Ramaprasad (1983) and others to do otherwise, it became used in a pre-industrial sense to mean information provided to students intended to influence what they do without any necessary mechanism to ensure that the information was utilised.”
From Rethinking models of feedback for learning: the challenge of design (2013) · cites this paper as Ramaprasad 1983
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- Authors
- Ramaprasad, A.
- Affiliations
- Southern Illinois University Carbondale (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ramaprasad, Arkalgud
- ORCID
- Ramaprasad, Arkalgud
- Venue
- Behavioral Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1983-01
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 4-13
- ISSN
- 1092-7026 (ISSN-L)
- 0005-7940
- 1099-1743
- OpenAlex
- W1975042462
- Cited by
- 915
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 52 · 2021: 66 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 50 · 2015: 65 · 2014: 44 · 2013: 58 · 2012: 46
- FWCI
- 2.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Systems Research and Behavioral Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Complex Systems and Decision Making
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management Theory and Practice
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Statistical and Nonlinear Physics › Complex Systems and Dynamics
- Keywords
- feedback, management theory, organizational systems, biological systems, communication networks, decision processes, subsystems, organizational communication
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