Interview Impression Management: Examining the use, effectiveness, and longitudinal relationships
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2021-03-18
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Abstract
Impression management, which consists of tactics that are used to control one’s image, have been found to impact rater evaluations such as interview performance ratings. Despite decades of research, there has yet to be an integrated model of interview IM effectiveness that incorporates both antecedent factors of who is more likely to engage in IM, and the mechanism by which IM impacts evaluations – attributions. I also examined the role of the important novel factors of executive functioning and incongruency. The proposed model was tested across two studies: one using a field sample, and one laboratory sample. In Study 1, interviewees in a business school setting completed self-report surveys, and interviewer ratings were obtained (N = 166). In Study 2, job-seeking adults (N = 294) completed self-report surveys, and interviews using asynchronous video interview technology. Deceptive and honest IM were found to have distinct antecedents, suggesting that it is important to differentiate between the two broad dimensions of interview IM. Moreover, attributions were found to be a significant mediator on the relationship between IM tactic usage and interview performance evaluations. Although there was support found for the assertion that individual characteristics influenced the use of IM, there was, however, no support for the assertion that these individual characteristics influenced the effectiveness of IM. That is, the individual characteristics did not moderate the relationship between IM use and attributions or performance. Thus, the integrated moderated mediation model of IM effectiveness, in which IM influences performance ratings through attributions, and the relationship between IM and attributions is moderated by individual characteristics, was not supported. Finally, there were significant, longitudinal associations between honest and deceptive IM in the interview, and later workplace behaviors and outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Law, S. J. (2021). Interview Impression Management: Examining the use, effectiveness, and longitudinal relationships (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.