Impression Management Motives Research Articles

Is a Good Deed Constructive Regardless of Intent? Organization Citizenship Behavior, Motive, and Group Outcomes

This article develops a theory about how motives behind organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) affect the amount of OCB reciprocated, group cohesion, and group performance. First, the article investigates the interpersonal exchange between peers and how motive perceived by the receiver affects his or her level of reciprocation. Second, it examines the individual attribute of interdependence self-construal as a factor that shifts the severity of this reaction. Third, the article considers OCB and motive at the group level and examines how OCB with impression management motives can be dysfunctional to groups. Specifically, this article argues that OCB with an impression management motive harms group cohesion and group performance.

If you're close with the leader, you must be a brownnose: The role of leader–member relationships in follower, leader, and coworker attributions of organizational citizenship behavior motives

Although scholars have recognized that organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) can be attributed to either self-serving or other-serving motives, little research has addressed the conditions under which different observers will make positive versus negative attributions for OCB. We draw on leader-member exchange (LMX) and attribution theories to propose that high-quality LMX relationships are associated with positive attributions of OCB motives by the follower and the leader but negative attributions of OCB motives by coworkers. We theorize that while high-quality LMX relationships are associated with attributions of pro-social and organizational concern motives by the follower and the leader, coworkers view OCB performed by those in high-quality LMX relationships as driven by impression management motives. We discuss implications for theory and research on OCB and LMX.

Power Differences in the Construal of a Crisis: The Immediate Aftermath of September 11, 2001

In this research, we examine the relationship between power and three characteristics of construal-abstraction, valence, and certainty-in individuals' verbatim reactions to the events of September 11, 2001, and during the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. We conceptualize power as a form of social distance and find that position power (but not expert power) was positively associated with the use of language that was more abstract (vs. concrete), positive (vs. negative), and certain (vs. uncertain). These effects persist after controlling for temporal distance, geographic distance, and impression management motivation. Our results support central and corollary predictions of Construal Level Theory (Liberman, Trope, & Stephan, 2007; Trope & Liberman, 2003) in a high-consequence, real-world context, and our method provides a template for future research in this area outside of the laboratory.

Good soldiers and good actors: Prosocial and impression management motives as interactive predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors.

Researchers have discovered inconsistent relationships between prosocial motives and citizenship behaviors. We draw on impression management theory to propose that impression management motives strengthen the association between prosocial motives and affiliative citizenship by encouraging employees to express citizenship in ways that both "do good" and "look good." We report 2 studies that examine the interactions of prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship using multisource data from 2 different field samples. Across the 2 studies, we find positive interactions between prosocial and impression management motives as predictors of affiliative citizenship behaviors directed toward other people (helping and courtesy) and the organization (initiative). Study 2 also shows that only prosocial motives predict voice-a challenging citizenship behavior. Our results suggest that employees who are both good soldiers and good actors are most likely to emerge as good citizens in promoting the status quo.

Interacting with women can impair men’s cognitive functioning

The present research tested the prediction that mixed-sex interactions may temporarily impair cognitive functioning. Two studies, in which participants interacted either with a same-sex or opposite-sex other, demonstrated that men’s (but not women’s) cognitive performance declined following a mixed-sex encounter. In line with our theoretical reasoning, this effect occurred more strongly to the extent that the opposite-sex other was perceived as more attractive (Study 1), and to the extent that participants reported higher levels of impression management motivation (Study 2). Implications for the general role of interpersonal processes in cognitive functioning, and some practical implications, are discussed.

A Multi-Level Review of Impression Management Motives and Behaviors

This article selectively reviews studies of impression management (IM) published since 1988 and identifies strengths, limitations, and future research directions in three key areas: research investigating the use of IM at the individual level of analysis (e.g., performance appraisal); research that applies IM theory, concepts, and thinking to better understand organizational phenomena (e.g., feedback seeking); and research investigating organizational-level IM (e.g., how firms create legitimacy). Following their review, the authors offer some overarching recommendations for future examinations of IM in organizations, giving particular attention to the need for clear definitions and categories of IM behaviors and the value of multi-level investigations.

ASSOCIATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND INGRATIATION WITH ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR: THE BENEFICIARY PERSPECTIVE

In this study we investigated whether the two motivational forces – social exchange and impression management – behind Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) proposed by Bolino (1999) would be associated differently with an individual's OCB toward a coworker, supervisor, and organization. Organizational justice and ingratiation represented the social exchange and impression management motives, respectively. Based on the data collected from managers, colleagues, and employees, the results of a total sample size of 529 questionnaires showed that both ingratiation and perception of organizational justice were positively associated with individuals' OCB toward their supervisors. However, for individuals performing OCB toward their jobs, only the perception of distributive justice showed a positive correlation, and neither motive was positively associated with individuals' OCB toward their coworkers.

Differentiating Good Soldiers from Good Actors*

abstract In a qualitative interview study, 20 Hong Kong Chinese informants were asked to report stories about colleagues who were either ‘good soldiers’ or ‘good actors’. In stories about good soldiers, informants attributed their colleagues' organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) primarily to prosocial or pro‐organizational motives. Informants' stories about good actors broke down into three major subcategories of citizenship‐related impression management: OCB attributed primarily to impression management motives; alleged pseudo‐OCB concomitant with minimal compliance; and alleged pseudo‐OCB concomitant with counterproductive behaviour. When distinguishing good soldiers from good actors, informants adopted two criteria for attribution: wilful behavioural inconsistency, i.e. low generality of behaviour across contexts; and alleged false pretence, i.e. discrepancy between claims or allusions and actual deeds. Our findings partially supported a prior hypothesis from attribution theory, that consistency was a criterion for attribution, but indicated that consensus, i.e. correspondence between the focal colleague's behaviour and other employees' behaviour, failed to differentiate good soldiers from good actors. Informants generally regarded OCB as socially desirable only when it was attributed primarily to prosocial/pro‐organizational motives.

DISPOSITIONAL PREDICTORS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR: MOTIVES, MOTIVE FULFILLMENT, AND ROLE IDENTITY

Constructs from a conceptual model of the volunteer process were applied to discretionary helping in the workplace (Organizational Citizenship Behavior or OCB). A total of 193 employees at 4 private companies completed anonymous surveys measuring amount of OCB, motives for engaging in citizenship behavior, and the extent to which those motives were fulfilled by the behavior. Also assessed was the degree to which respondents developed an organizational citizen role identity. Amount of OCB and the strength of a citizen identity correlated with two motives for helping, concern for coworkers and concern for the organization, as well as with the fulfillment of those motives. Impression management motives were related to citizenship behaviors directed toward coworkers but not to citizenship activities targeting the organization per se. Impression management goals also were unrelated to formation of a citizen role identity. The findings suggest that similar dispositional factors are involved in sustaining volunteerism and OCB.

The influence of motives and goal orientation on feedback seeking

This study examined the relationships between feedback seeking, goal orientation, performance and four motives which, though generally considered to underlie the feedback seeking process, have not previously been measured comprehensively. Both the likelihood and the number of instances of feedback seeking were measured in two samples (employees and students) in association with perceived or selfassessed above‐ and below‐average performance. Self‐assessed performance was a major predictor of feedback seeking; also influential were goal orientation and the goal orientation‐performance interaction. Increased feedback seeking was associated with the desire for useful information motive, and reduced feedback seeking with the ego defence and defensive impression management motives. The desire for useful information motive mediated the influence of performance‐prove goal orientation for employees, and that of a learning goal orientation for students.

Impression Management in the Feedback-Seeking Process: A Literaturereview and Research Agenda

Although impression management in the Feedback-seeking process has emerged as an important research topic, existing research has failed to capture the range and complexity of impression management behaviors. This article provides a theoretical framework for existing and future research. It examines how impression management sometimes discourages and at other times encourages feedback inquiry, and it explains the impact that impression management has on when, from whom, and how individuals ask for feedback. Organizational implications of the impression management motive in feedback seeking are discussed.

The Relationship of Upward‐Influencing Behavior with Subordinate‐Impression Management Characteristics1

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of subordinate‐impression management disposition, as measured by self‐monitoring and other‐deception, with the use of hard, soft, and rational upward‐influencing behavior in an organizational setting. One hundred and two bank employees confidentially completed the Self‐Monitoring Scale (SMS), Other‐Deception Questionnaire (ODQ), and Form M of the Profiles of Organizational Influence Strategies. The results provided mixed support for the hypothesis that increasing levels of self‐monitoring and other‐deception would be linked with rising levels of upward influencing. A significant self‐monitoring and other‐deception interaction was observed. As hypothesized, increasing levels of both self‐monitoring and other‐deception were associated with effectiveness in influencing the supervisor. The findings are discussed in terms of the psychological processes involved in influence strategy selection. It is also suggested that the ODQ and SMS may assess impression management motivation and skill, respectively. The implications of the findings are addressed.

Motives and interpersonal functions of aggression

In this review, the author theoretically and empirically examined motives and interpersonal functions of aggression. A factor-analysis of Averill's questionnaire items on anger revealed that motives involved in aggressive responses were clustered into two groups: the hostile and the instrumental. It was also clarified that an individual is likely to engage in aggression particularly when some hostile motives are evoked. Concerning the interpersonal functions, the author proposed that aggression might serve four principal goals. (1) Aggression can be generated as an avoidance response to an aversive stimulus, such as frustration, annoyance, or pain, and so on. It depends on the severity of the stimulus. It was however emphasized that aggression is also mediated by social cognition, such as an attribution of intent to a harm-doer. (2) Aggression can be used as a means of coercing the other person into doing something. An individual is likely to use such a power strategy if he/she is lacking in self-confidence or a perspective for influencing the target person by more peaceful strategies. (3) Aggression can be interpreted as a punishment when it is directed toward a transgressor. In this case, aggression is motivated by restoration of a social justice, and thus its intensity is determined by the perceived moral responsibility of the transgressor. Further, it was indicated that aggression is intensified if it is justified as a sanctional conduct against the immoral. (4) Aggression can be also evoked when an individual's social identity is threatened. It was suggested that impression management motives are involved in aggression by an unexpected finding that the presence of audience or the identifiability rather facilitated retaliative aggression. The aggression-inhibition effect of apology was also explained in terms of impression management. In conclusion, it was presented that aggression is a behavioral strategy as an attempt to resolve interpersonal conflicts including physical or psychological annoyance, the other person's disobedience, perceived injustice, and a threat to one's social identity. Whether one's aggression is performed or not depends on a number of intra- and inter-personal determinants, particularly on social cognitive processes such as attribution, inference, prediction and other judgements.

Dimensions and Correlates of Offender Ethical Self-Presentation

Watson's (1972) ethical behavior scale was administered to 168 offenders who were undergoing felonly presentence evaluation, and these scores were compared with those that had been obtained during a previous study in which similar subjects were instructed to create favorable versus unfavorable impressions. This comparison, coupled with analyses of MMPI and selected criminological correlates of performance on the scale, suggested that responses were partially, though not totally, determined by impression management motives. In addition, ethical self-presentation was found to be unidimensional, both in its associations with other variables and with respect to the correlations among ethical choice scores. The results were seen to be generally supportive of the validity of Watson's scale when used with appropriate precaution to detect attempts at dissimulation.