The boss can’t tell: Investigating how and when supervisor ingratiation spills over to observers

Prior studies on impression management in the work context predominantly emphasize the target (supervisor) or actor perspective, largely ignoring the observer. Suggesting that a coworker’s perspective would serve scholars and practitioners better for behavioral implications of impression management at work, we contend that supervisor ingratiation by a coworker triggers a self-serving attributional process for the observer. We propose that the observer attributes a high-performing coworker’s supervisor’s ingratiation to the supervisor’s complacent acceptance of these behaviors in the form of their social perceptual (in)ability. We also propose that these attributions further lead to the observer’s imitation of the behavior in an effort to secure favorable outcomes. Furthermore, the study tests the moderating role of the self-serving attributional style in influencing the observer’s supervisor attributions. Results from 279 middle-level managers in the banking sector confirmed the hypotheses. Based on attribution theory and social learning literature, the study shows that an integrated view of the two domains of study provides a greater understanding of pervasive behavior. The results of the study are telling, as they imply a spillover of supervisor ingratiation to observers, suggesting potentially damaging effects of supervisor ingratiation on the overall work environment. The study offers a guiding point for the future of impression management literature while advancing attribution literature to a third-party perspective. Practical implications, future suggestions, and limitations are also discussed.