Interviewers’ Sensitivity to Impression Management Tactics in Structured Interviews

This study examines interviewers’ sensitivity to impression management in structured interviews by determining the relative importance that interviewers attach to (verbal and nonverbal) impression management as compared to the relative importance that they attach to predetermined competencies. Two samples of interviewers (55 Master I/O psychology students and 18 professional interviewers) watched and evaluated videotaped interviewees who were instructed to put their best foot forward. Results of relative weight analyses showed that the importance of verbal and nonverbal impression management tactics was relatively small as compared to the importance attached to job-related competencies. The type of interview format had some effect on interviewers’ sensitivity to impression management tactics. In particular, in behavior description interviews the interviewers in both samples attached most relative weight to self-focused verbal tactics. Interviewer experience was not related to interviewers’ sensitivity to impression management tactics.

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The use of impression management tactics in structured interviews: A function of question type?

Journal of Applied Psychology ◽

10.1037/0021-9010.87.6.1200 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 87 (6) ◽

pp. 1200-1208 ◽

Cited By ~ 143

Author(s):

Aleksander P. J. Ellis ◽

Bradley J. West ◽

Ann Marie Ryan ◽

Richard P. DeShon

Keyword(s):

Impression Management ◽

Question Type ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Impression Management Tactics ◽

Management Tactics

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Verbal and Nonverbal Impression Management Tactics in Behavior Description and Situational Interviews

International Journal of Selection and Assessment ◽

10.1111/j.1468-2389.2006.00348.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

pp. 206-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 53

Author(s):

Helga Peeters ◽

Filip Lievens

Keyword(s):

Impression Management ◽

Situational Interviews ◽

Behavior Description ◽

Impression Management Tactics ◽

Management Tactics

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Impression management within the Zulu culture: Exploring tactics in the work context

SA Journal of Industrial Psychology ◽

10.4102/sajip.v42i1.1325 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Debrah Mtshelwane ◽

Jan Alewyn Nel ◽

Lizelle Brink

Keyword(s):

South African ◽

Impression Management ◽

Social Constructivism ◽

Phenomenological Approach ◽

The Body ◽

Work Context ◽

The South ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Impression Management Tactics ◽

Management Tactics

Orientation: Impression management tactics are utilised differently by people depending on the situation and the others around them.Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to identify the impression management tactics Zulu people display when they want to impress people in a work context.Motivation for this study: Organisations are competing for talented employees and people who contribute to the return on investment for the organisation. Individuals display impression tactics to influence the perceptions of others in the workplace, especially pertaining to performance appraisals and promotional opportunities.Research approach, design and method: The social constructivism paradigm was employed in conducting this study, following a phenomenological approach. The research sample consisted of 30 Zulu-speaking individuals from various organisations who were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. The researcher used thematic analysis to analyse the data.Main findings: The main findings in this study included impression management tactics that are used by Zulu people when attempting to impress people in the work context. The findings were divided into different categories (colleagues and supervisor). Conscientiousness,interpersonal amiability, openness and relational action are the themes that were reported as the most common impression management features people display at their workplace with colleagues. Themes that were reported when impressing a supervisor include conscientiousness,integrity, relational action and skilfulness.Practical/managerial implications: This study provides organisations with knowledge on the impression management tactics utilised by isiZulu employees. The nature of this information enables management to not misinterpret the use of certain tactics and will lead to more understanding and resilience by organisations and colleagues when working with isiZulu individuals.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the body of knowledge concerning impression management tactics within the South African context. The findings of this study might assist management to invent tools that are effective to identify impression management tactics, not just in the Zulu culture but within numerous other cultures in the South African spectrum.

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Impression Management Tactics Use Measure

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t09328-000 ◽

2002 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksander P. J. Ellis ◽

Bradley J. West ◽

Ann Marie Ryan ◽

Richard P. DeShon

Keyword(s):

Impression Management ◽

Impression Management Tactics ◽

Management Tactics

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Impression management for corporate brands over mobile media

Journal of Product & Brand Management ◽

10.1108/jpbm-09-2016-1309 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 385-403 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dara G. Schniederjans ◽

Stephen A. Atlas ◽

Christopher M. Starkey

Keyword(s):

Mobile Devices ◽

Impression Management ◽

Purchase Intentions ◽

Consumer Perception ◽

Mobile Media ◽

Corporate Brand ◽

Content Type ◽

Impression Management Tactics ◽

Corporate Brands ◽

Management Tactics

Purpose As organizations increasingly engage with consumers over mobile devices, there is a growing need to understand how consumers react to impression management over platforms with limited textual content. The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess how different impression management tactics can be used in mobile media to enhance consumer perception-attitude-intentions toward a corporate brand. Design/methodology/approach We surveyed 670 consumers and estimate structural equation models and repeated-measures ANOVAs to determine how short passages employing alternate impression management tactics influence consumers’ perceptions, attitudes and purchase intentions. Findings Results reveal that each impressions management tactic (i.e. ingratiation, intimidation, organizational promotion, supplication and exemplification) influences consumer perceptions, attitudes and intentions. The authors compare differences in how the impressions management tactics influence each stage of the perception-attitude-intentions model and find evidence that initial differences in perceptions favoring ingratiation and exemplification appeals become magnified for purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications Recent calls for research focus on an understanding of how consumers process information on reduced-content platforms of small-screened mobile devices. These results provide empirical evidence of the use of impression management and the difference between five impression management tactics on enhancing consumer perception-attitude-intentions model. Practical implications The results of this study will provide marketers with insights to optimize communications and corporate brands with consumers over mobile media. Originality/value This paper adds to the nascent yet vital literature on mobile marketing by focusing on how impression management tactics influence perceptions, attitudes and intentions through the short message characteristic of mobile platforms. The authors develop a framework for how corporate brand management can strategically use impressions management tactics in this novel domain.

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