FEEDBACK SEEKING AMONG DEVELOPMENTAL ASSESSMENT CENTER PARTICIPANTS Joseph D. Abraham John D. Morrison Jr A & M Psychometrics, LLC Dawn D. Burnett The University of Tulsa ABSTRACT: This study examined 189 newly hired supervisors in the trans- portation industry who completed a developmental assessment center. The re- sults showed that those who performed poorly in the assessment center, particularly on interpersonal dimensions, were less likely to initiate a scheduled feedback telephone call with an assigned coach. Implications and future research ideas are discussed. KEY WORDS: assessment centers; employee development; feedback. Assessment centers and behavioral simulations are among the most effective predictors of job performance and career progress available to employers (Gaugler, Rosenthal, Thornton, & Bentson, 1987; Schmitt, Gooding, Noe, & Kirsch, 1984). However, the focus of many assessment programs is on developing the skills and capabilities of employees, along with (or rather than) the measurement of potential. Despite the extensive body of research on the efficacy of assessment centers for selection pur- poses (summarized by the meta-analyses cited above), much less is known on the usefulness of assessment centers for employee development. Some examples of research on the efficacy of developmental assess- ment centers do exist. For example, Engelbrecht and Fischer (1995) found improved short-term managerial performance in a group of supervisors who had completed a developmental assessment center, compared to a Address correspondence to Joseph D. Abraham, A & M Psychometrics, LLC, 1611 S. Utica Ave., #281, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA. E-mail: JAbraham@ppicentral.com Journal of Business and Psychology, Vol. 20, No. 3, Spring 2006 (Ó2005) DOI: 10.1007/s10869-005-9008-z 383 0889-3268/06/0300-0383/0 Ó 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.