A Contingency Approach to the Impacts of Impression Management on Individual Performance

Abstract

Due to today's business environment in which the task interdependence and team-based work is increasing, organizational members are experiencing a high level of social interaction in their organizational life. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the effects of impression management tactics used by employees in their interaction and the contingencies that strengthen their effectiveness. In this background, this study investigates the effects of impression management tactics such as ingratiation and self-promotion on individual performance. Then, it also tends to shed light on the contingencies that individual personality influences on the effectiveness of these tactics. Based on trait activation theory, it is hypothesized that extraversion and openness to experience strengthen the relationship between ingratiation and performance, while agreeableness weakens the influence of self-promotion on performance. I collected research data from a survey with 22 employees in a Korean organization. As a result, self-promotion was found to have a positive effect on individual performance evaluated by a supervisor, whereas the effect of ingratiation was not significant. Predictions on moderating effects were all supported.