Political skill and will as predictors of impression management frequency and style: A three-study investigation

• Published in: Journal of vocational behavior Vol. 107; pp. 276 - 294
• Main Authors: Maher, Liam P., Gallagher, Vickie Coleman, Rossi, Ana Maria, Ferris, Gerald R., Perrewé, Pamela L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Elsevier Inc 01.08.2018; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Cluster analysis; Cognitive ability; Discriminant analysis; Employee management relations; Impression management; Political behavior; Political skill; Political will; Work environment; Cluster analysis; Political will; Political skill; Impression management
• ISSN: 0001-8791; 1095-9084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2018.05.004

To date, few empirical studies have confirmed the long-accepted notion that politically skilled individuals discriminately and strategically employ or avoid particular political behaviors in the workplace. The purpose of this multi-study investigation is to evaluate political skill and political will as antecedents of configurational impression management strategies. The configurations of impression management tactics found by Bolino and Turnley (2003) are confirmed using hierarchical and K-means cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis is employed to demonstrate the effects of political skill and political will in the prediction of impression management configurations. Consistent with the two-component model of impression management (Leary & Kowalski, 1990), the results of these studies suggest that political will and political skill represent the cognitive processes that enable impression management configuration selection. Post-hoc analyses illustrate that there may be slight differences in usage of some impression management tactics directed at specific targets (in two of our four samples). Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed. •We identify 3 configurations of impression management tactics.•Political skill predicts the selection of these impression management profiles.•The positives profile is comprised of individuals with the highest political skill.•Political will is a better predictor of impression management tactic profiles.•There is a sweet spot where high political skill meets moderate political will.