Impression Management Tactics Research Articles

Reaching the Top? Profiles of Impression Management and Career Success

AbstractEmployees use impression management (IM) tactics to influence their image at work. Whereas findings regarding the effects of IM on interview outcomes and performance evaluations are extensive, our understanding of the career implications of IM is both limited and inconclusive. In this two-study paper, we used latent profile analysis to better understand the relationship between the use of five IM tactics in combination—ingratiation, self-promotion, exemplification, intimidation, and supplication—and multiple indicators of objective career success (i.e., salary, promotions, and supervisor-rated reward recommendations) and subjective career success. Four different IM profiles were identified in a sample of 237 employees in Study 1 and which were replicated in Study 2 with 268 employees. In Study 1, we found that the highest levels of salaries and promotions (reflecting objective career success) were associated with a passive use of IM (i.e., employing all five IM strategies at low frequency), thereby running counter to our initial expectations. In contrast, the highest level of subjective career success was associated with a positive use of IM (i.e., a pattern employing the three positive strategies ingratiation, self-promotion and exemplification at higher levels). In Study 2, we found positive use of IM to be associated with the highest level of supervisor-rated reward recommendations as a further indicator of objective career success (followed by passives with the second highest reward recommendations). Our findings highlight the importance of viewing objective and subjective career success as qualitatively different constructs and suggest benefits of employing passive IM use for objective career success.

Investigating impression management use in asynchronous video interviews across 10 countries

AbstractThis cross‐cultural study investigates how interviewees from 10 culturally‐distinct countries differ in their use of impression management (IM) tactics in asynchronous video interviews (AVIs), and the relationship(s) between those tactics and interview performance. A total of 582 participants from ten countries (India, Canada, South Africa, Poland, Spain, Iran, Germany, Chile, Philippines, China) completed an 8‐question AVI for a mock position as a manager in a bank. We drew upon GLOBE's cultural framework to predict and explain observed differences in self‐reported IM use and performance. We used multi‐level modeling to test our hypotheses. Interviewees from our ten countries differed slightly in their IM use for various tactics, but IM use was seldom related to GLOBE cultural dimensions. Partially consistent with previous in‐person interview research, honest IM tactics (e.g., self promotion) were positively, but deceptive tactics (e.g., extensive image creation) negatively, associated with interview performance. This research is the first to investigate cross‐cultural IM differences in AVIs, thus addressing a critical gap in the selection literature at a time when many organizations conduct interviews virtually to save costs, streamline the hiring process, or simply conduct most of their activities remotely.

How proactive subordinates cope with supervisor knowledge hiding: the impression management tactic of upward ingratiation

PurposeDespite the detrimental effects of supervisor knowledge hiding on employees and organizations, little research has focused on how subordinates cope with it. Drawing on the impression management theory, this study proposes a mediated moderation model to explain who and how cope with supervisor knowledge hiding.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 340 full-time participants in various organizations and industries in China, the proposed model was tested using ordinary least squares regression with the PROCESS 3.5.FindingsThe results support the mediated moderation model, indicating that proactive subordinates are motivated to manage their impression towards supervisors and engage in upward ingratiation to cope with supervisor knowledge hiding. In contrast, subordinates with low level of proactive personality trait have less impression management motive and engage in fewer upward ingratiatory behaviors.Originality/valueBased on the impression management theory, the current paper contributes to the literature on supervisor knowledge hiding by expanding the consequences of supervisor knowledge hiding, identifying a boundary condition of supervisor knowledge hiding on subordinate’s subsequent behaviors and enriching the mechanism underlying the effect of supervisor knowledge hiding with proactive personality.

A Contingency View of Impression Management: Heterogeneous Investor Responses to CEO Positive Portrayal of Mergers and Acquisitions

AbstractExisting research has suggested seemingly contradictory conclusions about the efficacy of impression management (IM) tactics. While a growing body of research highlights the potential benefits of IM, other studies imply that the effectiveness of these tactics in shaping stakeholder perceptions may be limited. Our study advances theory on IM by drawing upon expectancy violations theory to develop a contingency theory of IM efficacy. Concentrating on CEOs’ positive portrayal of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity, we hypothesize that the effectiveness of this IM tactic hinges on factors related to the communicator (CEO duality), context (acquisition foreshadowing), and audience (investor type). Our results indicate that investor reactions to CEOs’ positive portrayal are more favourable when M&A activity has been foreshadowed or when the institutional investor is transient. Conversely, reactions are less favourable for CEOs also serving as board chair. Our findings provide novel insights into IM theory, suggesting that potential expectancy violations associated with IM tactics could be shaped by the attributes of communicator, context, and audience.

Disability disclosure as an impression management technique used in the workplace: A grounded theory investigation.

In order to overcome obstacles to entry and inclusion in the workplace, individuals with disabilities engage in various impression management strategies to present themselves as the socially acceptable 'ideal employee.' This study expands on previous disclosure research by asking individuals with disabilities to share their experiences of identity management and workplace challenges. We leveraged qualitative research techniques to explore the reciprocal impact of workplace treatment and disclosure. Impression management emerged as an especially salient aspect of participants' disclosure decisions, and participants used an array of impression management tactics. Some employees with disabilities described positive experiences; however, we also learned that impression management can present unique challenges that may outweigh potential benefits. Our findings affirm that managing the image we project can be remarkably complicated and effortful when having a disability. This paper concludes with implementation recommendations for vocational rehabilitation counselors and human resource practitioners.

Impression management through social media: impact on the market performance of musicians’ human brands

PurposeHuman brands in the music industry use self-presentation tactics on social media to manage audience impressions. This practice has led to many posts asking followers to adopt behaviors favoring the human brand. However, its effectiveness in leveraging relevant performance metrics for musicians outside social media, such as popularity in specialized media, music sales and number of contracted concerts, needs further exploration. This study aims to reveal the effect of impression management tactics conveyed on social media on the market performance of musicians’ human brands.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data research classifies 5,940 social media posts from 11 music artists into self-presentation tactics (self-promotion, exemplification, supplication and ingratiation). It shows their predictions on three market performance metrics in an annual balanced panel study.FindingsImpression management tactics via posts on social media are mostly self-promotion, improving the musicians’ market performance by increasing the number of contracted concerts. Conversely, ingratiation generated the most positive effect on the musician’s popularity but reduced music sales. Besides lowering the musicians’ popularity, exemplification also reduced the number of contracted concerts, while the supplication had no significant effect.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, the research is the first to use social media postings of musicians’ official human brand profiles based on self-presentation typologies as a complete impression management tool. Furthermore, it is the first to test the effects of these posts on market performance metrics (i.e. outside of social media) in a longitudinal study.

Sustainability data distortions: the use of visual impression management techniques in corporate sustainability reporting

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the utilization of visual impression management techniques within sustainability reporting. Specifically, the study aims to determine whether Italian companies employ impression management tactics in the presentation of graphs within their sustainability reports and, thus, problematize visual data communication in corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a multimodal content analysis of the 58 sustainability reports from Italian listed companies that are GRI-compliant. The analysis focused on three types of graphs: pie charts, line graphs and bar graphs. In total, 860 graphs have been examined.FindingsThe study found evidence of graphical distortion techniques being employed by companies in their sustainability reports to create a favorable impression. Specifically, graph distortions are found in column graphs and not in line or pie charts. In particular, selectivity, presentation enhancement and measurement distortion techniques seem to be extensively used when adopting column graphs in sustainability communication. Moreover, social sustainability–related topics tend to be more represented of other area of CSR reporting. This suggests that companies, whether consciously or unconsciously, engage in impression management techniques when using graphs in their sustainability reports.Social implicationsThe study findings suggest that more consciousness is needed for companies when engaging in the construction and selection of graphs in their sustainability reports and that decision-makers should develop a clear guide for ethical visual communication.Originality/valueThe paper systematically analyzes visual impression management techniques in communicating sustainability data and, in particular, advances literature on graphical distortion. The value lies in empirical evidence of distortion adoption in GRI-compliant reports as well as problematizing visual data communication as a fundamental challenge for sustainability communication management.

Relationships between Machiavellianism and impression management tactics: the moderating role of emotional intelligence

Relationships between Machiavellianism and impression management tactics: the moderating role of emotional intelligence

Impression management in a crisis: A conceptual framework of listed firms during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study develops a conceptual framework for impression management for listed companies, targeting various financial information users during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, many listed firms faced financial distress and limited in-person communication. Our framework is based on various communication categories and types, providing insights for managers to adjust impression management tactics, which affect emotions and induce cognitive biases in their targets that may impact their decision-making processes. Our research not only contributes to the existing literature pertaining to corporate impression management and crisis communication but also holds implications for future studies.

Demeaning extrinsic motivation leads to increased perceptions of hypocrisy

People who are extrinsically motivated are negatively stereotyped and are viewed less positively compared to those who are intrinsically motivated. As a result, individuals can strategically express their intrinsic motivation as an impression management tactic to gain more favorable evaluations from others. Aside from directly signaling their intrinsic motivation, individuals can also choose a more aggressive strategy by demeaning extrinsic motivation (e.g., “being motivated by money is shallow and meaningless!”). Across 7 primary studies and 3 supplementary studies (N = 3153), we document the prevalence of this phenomenon, users’ (mis)perceptions of how effective this strategy should be, and its actual interpersonal consequences across different contexts. Although being extrinsically motivated is negatively evaluated, we posit that demeaning extrinsic motivation would ironically make one appear more hypocritical and thus disliked, compared to demeaning other negative behaviors or explicitly praising extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, we found that these effects are stronger for those who are low in job calling orientation and high in socioeconomic status. In sum, although people might choose to demean extrinsic motivation in order to gain social approval, such a strategy often backfires.

The Impact of Impression Management Tactics on Faculty Job Performance: A Study of Private Sector Universities of Peshawar

Impression management (IM) is a conscious or subconscious process in which people attempt to influence the perceptions of other people about a person, object or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction and which can also be used as a metaphor for human social interaction. Impression Management tactics are broadly categorized into five to help people, to understand and use IM tactics in an organizational setting: ingratiation, intimidation, self-promotion, supplication, and exemplification. Impression management has been associated with the positive performance in workplace. In this study, purposive-cum-snow ball sampling techniques are used to collect primary data from the targeted audience i-e, the faculty of the private university. According to literature studies, employees are pushed to comprehend impression management and the associated strategies by the competitive and dynamic atmosphere in educational sector, which has a favorable impact on their job performance. Analysis of the results revealed that ingratiation, self-promotion and exemplification has significant impact on job performance. In contrast to the hypothesis, exemplification show negative impact on the overall job performance, while intimidation has significant negative impact on employee’s job performance. The supplication tactics of impression management were removed during factor loading because of its multifaceted nature. The findings will help to strengthen horizontal and vertical social interactions with particular focus on impression management tactics, which can have an impact on job performance.

Positive Tone Sentiment and Readability as Impression Management Tactics Used by District Municipalities in South Africa

Positive Tone Sentiment and Readability as Impression Management Tactics Used by District Municipalities in South Africa

A Theoretical Exploration of the Nexus Between Performance Appraisal, Culture, and Impression Management

This study theoretically discusses that the impression management (IM) strategies that employees apply depending on the purpose of performance appraisal (PA) in organizations may vary in different cultures. The propositions developed are based on Schütz's four-dimensional classification of IM strategies and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner's (1998) seven-dimensional model of culture. It has been proposed that employees may exhibit more assertive or defensive IM strategies for administrative PA, and offensive or protective IM strategies for developmental PA. Moreover, employees in particularistic, diffuse, and synchronous cultures may apply IM more frequently in the PA process. Employees in individualistic cultures may use defensive IM tactics for developmental PA, while in communitarian cultures they may resort to assertive IM. Furthermore, employees can apply offensive and assertive IM for administrative PA in ascription-oriented cultures, taking responsibility IM tactics in both administrative and developmental PAs in inner-directed cultures, and justification and excuse tactics in outer-directed cultures.

Does media richness influence job applicants' experience in asynchronous video interviews? Examining social presence, impression management, anxiety, and performance

AbstractAsynchronous video interviews (AVIs) have become a popular alternative to face‐to‐face interviews for screening or selecting job applicants, in part because of their increased flexibility and lower costs. However, AVIs are often described as anxiety‐provoking or associated with negative applicant reactions. Building on theories of media richness and social presence, we explore if increasing the media richness of AVIs, by replacing “default” text‐based introductions and written questions with video‐based ones, can positively influence interviewees' experience. In an experimental study with 151 interviewees (Mage = 28.08, 56% female) completing a mock interview, we examine the (direct and indirect) impact of media richness on perceived social presence, interview anxiety, use of honest and deceptive impression management (IM) tactics, and ultimately interview performance. Results showed that media richer AVIs help increase interviewees perceived social presence and improve their interview performance. Higher perceived social presence was also associated with lower interview anxiety and facilitated using IM (especially other‐focused tactics). Our findings highlight that there might be ways for organizations to embrace the practical benefits of AVIs while still ensuring a positive experience for interviewees.

Multistakeholder impression management tactics and sustainable development intentions in agri-food co-operatives

Abstract This study examines the organization impression management (OIM) tactics used in agri-food cooperatives to communicate their intentions toward sustainable development. Based on content analysis of the chairperson and CEO statements of 14 agri-foods cooperatives from six years' annual reports, this study sheds light on the role of member-owned firms in shifts toward realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper proposes multistakeholder OIM tactics. These insights about sustainable development extend knowledge of how senior managers communicate their intentions in multistakeholder situations, which include shareholders, suppliers, customers, and local communities. This study contributes to the literature on organizational impression management and member-owned firms. Managerial implications are also outlined.

‘I disdain the company of flatterers!’: How and when observed ingratiation predicts employees’ ostracism toward their ingratiating colleagues

Ingratiation is an impression management tactic used by those who seek to obtain the favor of others. Previous studies mainly examine the role of ingratiation from the initiator’s perspective, ignoring observers’ reactions when they are confronted with their peers’ ingratiating behaviors. Drawing on social comparison theory, this study employs a third-party framework to explain the pathways between observed ingratiation and ostracism and analyzes data from a time-lagged survey and two scenario-based experiments in the Chinese context. Observed ingratiation triggers third-party employees’ ostracism of flatterers by arousing a sense of future status threats. Moreover, when observers’ goals are competitive with those of ingratiators, the adverse effects of observed ingratiation are exacerbated, whereas their leader–member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) buffers its unfavorable effects. These findings advance ingratiation studies by extending the research perspective from that of initiator–target dyads to third-party employees and unveiling a vital mediator (future status threats) and two essential opposite moderators (competitive goals and LMXSC) in the internal mechanism underlying the observed ingratiation–ostracism link. Further, although ingratiation may induce benefits for ingratiators, managers must recognize that it can be destructive for third-party employees.

Are self-sacrificing employees liked by their supervisor?

Despite the growing prevalence of employee exemplification in the workplace, there is limited understanding of this assertive self-focused tactic. This study proposes to expand the exemplification research domain by exploring the emotional and behavioral conditions under which this impression management tactic is effective. Data analysis from 206 supervisor–employee dyads reveals that the indirect relationship between exemplification and individual performance through a supervisor’s liking is conditional on an employee’s emotional intelligence. Specifically, the exemplification effect on performance is sharply negative when a salesperson’s emotional intelligence is low, and it becomes insignificant when a salesperson is highly emotionally intelligent. This moderating effect is also strengthened by a supervisor’s age. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

What happens to abusive actors? A study of managers’ emotional responses and impression management tactics subsequent to enacted abusive supervision

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to investigate how managers react to their own abusive supervision. Accordingly, this research identified a mechanism that managers may use to make amends for their abusive supervisory behaviors.Design/methodology/approachTwo studies were designed. Study 1 was an online experimental study involving 99 full-time managers in the hotel industry that examined how managers’ internal factors moderated the relationship between enacted abusive supervision and embarrassment. By applying a critical incident technique to survey 235 full-time managers in the hospitality industry in Study 2, the moderating role of power distance belief as a context-related factor was tested. Furthermore, the mediating role of embarrassment between managers’ abusive supervision and their impression management was examined.FindingsManagers who enact abusive supervision may experience embarrassment and thus be more likely to use impression management tactics, such as apology. Moreover, this study revealed the boundary conditions that influence managers’ reaction toward their own abusive supervision.Practical implicationsHospitality industry practitioners can use the findings of this study as a basis for the development of policies and training programs to promote positive organizational culture and minimize unethical workplace behaviors.Originality/valuePrevious studies in this area have focused on subordinate-centric perspectives; this study is one of the few that has examined abusive supervision from an actor-centric perspective.

Interrogation in clinical supervision sessions: Exploring the construction of clinical psychology trainees’ professional identities

BackgroundProfessional socialisation is a complex process through which learners become healthcare professionals. This process occurs in relational spaces: learners are exposed to norms and expectations of them in interactions during formal and informal learning activities. Research exploring socialisation into the healthcare professions is extensive yet inadequately captures details of the actual processes of socialisation and forming of professional identity. Our study offers a moment-by-moment examination of clinical psychology trainee supervision to provide a deeper exploration of novice healthcare professionals’ identity development within formal educational interactions. AimsWe sought to explore how, and in what ways, supervision interactions impact clinical psychology trainees’ professional identity development. MethodOur data comprises 12 audio recordings of supervisor-trainee interactions in a clinical psychology training clinic. Initial data engagement identified 20 instances of interrogation instigated by supervisors (i.e., repetitive questioning, enquiry) as being key events in which identities are contested and re-negotiated. These sections were transcribed verbatim. Drawing on positioning, framing and impression management theories, we explored identity construction in interrogations using discourse analysis. ResultsSupervisors approached interrogations of trainees from either a quality control or a reflective frame focusing on the client or trainee respectively. These frames influenced the positions being made available to trainees. Reflective frame interrogations often defaulted back to quality control. Trainees employed impression management tactics to manage perceived face-threat. DiscussionFindings highlight challenges with maintaining a reflective space in supervision during interrogations. Supervisors had authority to initiate interrogations that could be taken up, negotiated or resisted by trainees, ultimately maintaining certain professional knowledge and truths. We illuminate the ways in which socialisation processes at the interactional level during formal learning activities ultimately make available (and restrict) certain ways for trainees to think, feel and be.

Celebrity CEOs and corporate investment: A psychological contract perspective

Drawing on the psychological contract theory, we examine how the celebrity status of chief executive officers (CEO) influences corporate investment behavior. Using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2002 to 2019, we find that celebrity CEOs increase corporate investment levels, leading to lower investment efficiency. In addition, they employ more impression management tactics to signal their superior managerial ability, and dodge possible rejections of their investment decisions by having fewer board meetings. Furthermore, since the perceived psychological contract is dynamic, we provide evidence that the association between the celebrity CEO and corporate investment is more pronounced when a firm faces environmental uncertainty, and pressures from intensive industry competition and peers' performance. Our study contributes to corporate finance literature and results indicate that CEOs with celebrity status are pressured to maintain a psychological contract, which in turn, reduce the efficiency of corporate resource allocation.