Managerial feedback discussions often fail to produce the desired performance improvements. Three studies shed light on why performance feedback fails and how it can be made more effective. In Study 1, managers described recent performance feedback experiences in their work settings. In Studies 2 and 3, pairs of managers role-played a performance review meeting. In all studies, recipients of mixed and negative feedback doubted the accuracy of the feedback and the providers' qualifications to give it. Disagreement regarding past performance was greater following the feedback discussion than before, due to feedback recipients' increased self-protective and self-enhancing attributions. Managers were motivated to improve to the extent they perceived the feedback conversation to be focused on future actions rather than on past performance. Our findings have implications for the theory and practice of performance management.

Dietary fructose, especially in the context of a high-fat western diet, has been linked to type 2 diabetes. Although the effect of fructose on liver metabolism has been extensively studied, a significant portion of the fructose is first metabolized in the small intestine. Here, we report that dietary fat enhances intestinal fructose metabolism, which releases glycerate into the blood. Chronic high systemic glycerate levels induce glucose intolerance by slowly damaging pancreatic islet cells and reducing islet sizes. Our findings provide a link between dietary fructose and diabetes that is modulated by dietary fat.