Impression Management and Mismanagement in Organizations

Within and outside of the workplace, individuals regularly engage in impression management, or attempts to manage how they are perceived by others to create positive impressions of themselves (Bolino & Turnley, 2003; Jones & Pittman, 1982; Wayne & Liden, 1995). Despite the importance of cultivating a good impression, it is not uncommon for individuals to misunderstand how certain behaviors will be perceived by others (Steinmetz, Sezer, & Sedikides, 2016). The five papers in this symposium each address an important aspect of impression management and highlight nuances that provide a greater understanding of 1) when and why impression mismanagements might occur and 2) how individuals can become better impression managers so they can more effectively reach their goals. These papers examine various forms of impression management, both through language and actions, and discuss how context affects the extent to which impression management is successful. How does Variability Affect Humanization? Presenter: Kristina Wald; U. of Chicago Booth School of business Presenter: Jane Risen; U. of Chicago Booth School of business I Told You So Effect Presenter: Ovul Sezer; Columbia Business School Presenter: Salvatore J. Affinito; Harvard Business School Presenter: Bradley R. Staats; U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Intrinsic Motivation Display as Impression Management Presenter: Mijeong Kwon; U. of Colorado, Denver Sending Signals: Strategic Displays of Warmth and Competence Presenter: Bushra Sarah Guenoun; Harvard Business School Presenter: Julian Jake Zlatev; Harvard Business School Observer Reactions to Impression Management Use in the Workplace Presenter: Lynn A. McFarland; Darla Moore School of Business, U. of South Carolina Presenter: William Benjamin Ward; U. of South Carolina Presenter: Silvia Clark; Darla Moore School of Business, U. of South Carolina Presenter: Jonathan Hendricks; U. of Nebraska, Lincoln