LESSONS IN ORGANIZATIONAL DRAMATURGY - THE ART OF IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

Almost every event in today's organizations-be it a job interview, formal presentation, awards banquet, or chance meeting in the hallway-contains theatrical elements. From a dramaturgical perspective, the participants are actors who perform on stage with the intent of shaping an audience's impressions of them. Scholars call this process impression management, and a growing body of psychological research has helped to define the classic motivations, scripts, and scenarios of modem organizational life. In this article, the author discusses five assertive impression management scenarios: ingratiation, self-promotion, intimidation, exemplification, and supplication. A sixth scenario depicts the face-saving tactics of apologies and accounts. By becoming sensitive to these techniques, a manager becomes more effective in managing his or her own image-and more astute in reviewing performances staged by others.