Abstract
Despite the popularity of the term impression management (IM) in the literature, there is no consensus as how different types of IM (direct vs. indirect) and modes of interaction (face-to-face vs. online) promote career-related outcomes. While most empirical studies focus on direct IM, individuals engage in both types of IM and interaction modes, particularly indirect IM in the online context. Indeed, recent developments suggest that online interactions now prevail over face-to-face interactions, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, this study presents the first systematic literature review that differentiates between types of IM (direct vs. indirect) and modes of interaction (face-to-face vs. online) in a career development perspective. The review shows that direct IM is more widely studied in the face-to-face than online interaction mode, while indirect IM is neglected in both interaction modes. This study thus provides evidence of the need to investigate and differentiate between the different types of IM and interaction modes for career-related outcomes, highlighting some research gaps and directions for future inquiry.
Highlights
In recent years, impression management (IM) has received renewed attention among scholars (e.g., Liu et al, 2019; Yang et al, 2021)
Since recruiters increasingly use social networking platforms in their search for candidates (Villeda and McCamey, 2019), understanding online IM for potential career consequences, and differentiating between the online and faceto-face contexts that lead to different career-related outcomes, is pivotal. In this systematic literature review composed of 55 articles in English published from 1980 to 2020, we explore how the different IM mechanisms contribute to individuals’ career development, and seek to answer the following questions: 1) Are there any difference between IM types and career related outcomes?
Regarding direct IM in the face-to-face context, most studies focus on the link between IM and job interview, job performance, and other career-related outcomes as detailed
Summary
Impression management (IM) has received renewed attention among scholars (e.g., Liu et al, 2019; Yang et al, 2021). IM is of primary importance for individuals, since the impressions they make on others influences how others perceive and treat them (Bozeman and Kacmar, 1997; Gioaba and Krings, 2017). IM has revolutionized career development, offering competitive and sustainable career opportunities (Villeda and McCamey, 2019). Developing a resume and showing daily achievements online are unavoidable tools to enhance our career (El Ouirdi et al, 2015). In this vein, individuals using IM have higher chances of getting positive job interview ratings (Amaral et al, 2019). A better understanding of the mechanism linking IM and the career-related outcomes requires distinguishing between different IM types, as different IM mechanisms might lead to different career outcomes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
