Empirical Research on the Relationship Between Employees’ Political Skill and Impression Management

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the dimensionality of political skills in terms of the management of perceptions. Information as well as bootstrapping strategies were evaluated to account for the modest sample size (n = 250) using a qualitative method to account for any leader level impacts. Ability of the network, evident honesty and behavioral impact are the best expected positive impression management (IM). In order to predict higher ratings, evident honesty interacted with optimistic perception management techniques, while social astuteness did not help coercion and supplication. The results endorse the use of more positive influence strategies in the workplace by socially cunning individuals. This may have an impact on the wider workplace climate, making it more fun than one of people using strategies of negative control. Therefore, it may be in the interest of organizations to train people to develop their social astuteness. However, performance evaluations carried out by managers that affirm previous findings are affected by more than objective performance (e.g., political skill). In order to remove these kinds of biases, companies must also ensure the correct training of workers. This research empirically validates elements of the model of me theoretical political capability (Ferris et al. Journal of Management 33:290-320, 2007) by analyzing the effects of political ability dimensions on interpersonal processes and success in the workplace.

Keywords: Political skills, impression Management, Performance

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/13-4-07

Publication date: February 28^th 2021