New Developments in Impression Management Research during Pre-Organizational Entry

Abstract

Managing impressions is a central practice in most people’s lives. In organizations, the use of impression management (IM) tactics has not only become standard practice, but has become an important component of pre-organizational entry processes such as recruitment and selection. During those processes, IM is employed by both applicants and employers. Interestingly, a sizable literature has examined the impact IM has on the employee selection process (Bolino, Kacmar, Turnley, & Gilstrap, 2008). As mentioned above, the use of impression management in organizational life is not new, yet research on this topic is now tapping onto new dimensions. For example, impression management tactics can have very different forms, from verbal to nonverbal, offensive and defensive tactics, and include both beneficial and detrimental purposes. Given this complexity, research is necessary to help better understand the role of impression management tactics in organizational life. The research presented in this symposium addresses the various facets of impression management tactics in recruitment and selection: offensive, defensive, beneficial, detrimental, and nonverbal tactics. Is Offense the Best Defense? Impact of Organizational Image Spoiling Acts on Applicant Perceptions Presenter: Irene W. F. Yang; National Chung Cheng U. Presenter: Chih-Yun Wu; Department of Business Administration, TungHai U., Taiwan Presenter: Cheng-Kai Tang; National Chung Cheng U. Presenter: Yi Ching Wu; National Chung Cheng U. Applicant Self-Handicapping Impression Management Tactics and Interviewer Evaluations Presenter: Tun-Chun Huang; National Changhua U. of Education The Role of Nonverbal Impression Management Tactics in Pre- Organizational Entry Presenter: Timothy C Dunne; Middle Tennessee State U. Presenter: Serge P. da Motta Veiga; Lehigh U. Effects of Applicants’ Self-Monitoring and Nationality on Their Choices of Defensive IM Tactics Presenter: Chih-Yun Wu; Department of Business Administration, TungHai U., Taiwan Presenter: Wei-Chi Tsai; National Chengchi U. Presenter: Chia-Ying Cheng; Foxconn Technology Group