低预期员工的印象管理行为模型构建

The Model Development of Underdog Employees’Impression Management Behaviors

低预期现象在工作场所中十分普遍。然而,过往研究大多关注于低预期的负面影响。本研究基于印象管理理论,构建了低预期员工的印象管理行为模型。当员工感知到自己被寄以低预期时容易产生印象管理动机,从而致力于操控型(自我推销)或建设型(提高任务绩效、组织公民行为)的印象管理行为。低预期员工的这一印象管理过程受到低预期出现的场合、员工的公共自我意识以及员工自身能力和进行印象管理的机会这几个边界条件的制约。本研究在理论上拓展了现有关于低预期研究的理论视角,补充了印象管理理论关于印象管理行为发生的情境因素;在实践方面,为员工处理低预期问题提供了指导性的对策,建议低预期员工不要自暴自弃,可以通过印象管理来改变现状。

Underdog expectations are ubiquitous phenomena in the workplace.However,most of prior studies focused on the negative impact of such expectations on employees.Drawing on impression management theory,this study develops a model explaining employees’impression management behaviors when they perceive underdog expectations.Employees who perceive underdog expectations will likely feel motivated to manage their impression and thus engage in manipulative impression management behavior(self-promotion)or constructive impression management behavior(improving task performance and organizational citizenship behavior).Underdog employees’impression management process is contingent upon the presence of underdog expectations in the public,employees’public self-consciousness,employees’abilities and opportunities of doing impression management.Theoretically,this study extends the theoretical perspectives of underdog expectations and complements impression management theory by adding on the contextual factors that may affect impression management behaviors.Practically,this study provides guidelines for employees to deal with underdog expectations,suggesting that they should not give up on themselves,but change the status quo through impression management.