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Purpose Based on the Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress, this study aims to reveal the mechanism of peer abusive supervision on bystander proactive behavior through two different paths: bystander assertive impression management motivation and bystander defensive impression management motivation. Besides, the moderating effects of bystander uncertainty tolerance on the two paths are also explored. Design/methodology/approach In this study, 438 employees and their direct leaders from eight Chinese companies were surveyed in a paired survey at three time points, and the empirical data was analyzed using Mplus 7.4 software. Findings Peer abusive supervision leads bystanders to develop assertive impression management motivation and, thus, to exhibit more proactive behaviors. At the same time, peer abusive supervision also causes bystanders to develop defensive impression management motivation, which reduces the frequency of performing proactive behaviors. In addition, this study finds that bystander uncertainty tolerance plays a moderating role in influencing bystander assertive impression management motivation and bystander defensive impression management motivation in response to peer abusive supervision. Originality/value Starting from the bystander perspective, this study verifies the double-edged sword effect of peer abusive supervision on bystander proactive behavior as well as the mechanism of differentiated effects through cognitive appraisal, which broadens the scope of the research on abusive supervision, and deepens the academic understanding and development of the Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress. At the same time, it also provides new ideas for organizations to reduce the negative effects of workplace abusive behavior.

PurposeThis study examines whether, how and when socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) practices increase employees' in-role and extra-role corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data from 422 employees of 68 companies.FindingsSRHRM improves employees' in-role CSR-specific performance via impression management motivation and enhance extra-role CSR-specific performance via prosocial motivation. Moral identity symbolization strengthens the relationship between SRHRM and impression management motivation, and moral identity internalization reinforces the relationship between SRHRM and prosocial motivation. The authors also propose mediated moderation models.Practical implicationsThis study indicates that company can adopt SRHRM practices to improve employees' in-role and extra-role CSR-specific performance.Originality/valueThis study reveals how and when SRHRM practices influence employees' CSR-specific performance and sheds light on the social impacts of SRHRM.

Extant research has identified various effects of leader humor on subordinates and work groups. In contrast, less research has explored the influence of leader humor on leaders themselves and leaders’ subsequent behaviors. To address these issues, we drew from ego depletion theory and investigated when and how leader humor impacted leader workplace deviance. We argued that leader humor along with high impression management motive would bring increased ego depletion to leaders themselves and ultimately result in more leader workplace deviance. We tested our theoretical model using a three-wave time-lagged field survey data collected from 103 leaders and 595 subordinates, as well as an experiment involving 487 leader participants, which provided overall support for our hypotheses. Our findings revealed the possible dark side of leader humor influencing both leaders themselves and organizations. Theoretical contributions and new avenues for future research are addressed.

Impression management (IM) concerns can lead to significant psychological consequences, potentially engendering unethical behavior. Therefore, adopting the stressor–strain–outcome framework, this study explores the effects of IM concerns on unethical behavior through wellbeing, and whether IM on social media (i.e., Instagram) triggers fatigue and results in unethical behavior at work. The findings of two empirical studies (n = 480 and n = 299) in different settings (Kuwait and the UK) suggest that women experience higher effects from IM concerns compared with men in Kuwait, while no gender differences are found in the UK. The results also confirm that impression management on social media platforms triggers fatigue, in turn increasing unethical behavior at work. This study contributes to the IM literature by capturing the effect of Instagram activities on workplace behavior.

Based on Conservation of resources (COR) theory and job preservation motivation, this paper examines the mediating role of impression management between job insecurity and employees’ innovative behavior, and the moderating role of job embeddedness in the process. Using two-wave data from 315 samples obtained through the Credamo platform in China, the indirect effects of quantitative and qualitative job insecurity on employees’ innovative behavior were found to be different and to be mediated by defensiveness and assertiveness in impression management. Moreover, job embeddedness moderated the relationship not only between job insecurity and impression management, but also between job insecurity and innovative behavior via impression management in moderated mediation analyses. This study provides new insights into the mechanism between job insecurity and innovative conduct from the impression management perspective.

The current study examined the impression management gap between sustainability and management reports, which in this study serves as a proxy for greenwashing in sustainability reporting. The study sample comprised 192 reports from 24 companies, covering the period 2020–2023. Impression management gaps were estimated across four dimensions—tone, analytical thinking, authenticity, and clout—using textual analysis with the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count software. Our findings reveal significant impression management gaps for tone, clout, and analytics dimensions throughout the entire research sample, confirming a more pronounced use of impression management techniques in sustainability reporting. Despite increasing regulatory pressure during the study period, the calculated gaps did not show signs of decreasing. The results further indicate a high likelihood of greenwashing in the Services and Manufacturing sectors, and a lower likelihood in the Utilities sector. Such gaps risk misleading stakeholders by shaping perceptions that diverge from a company’s actual sustainability practices. Our findings suggest that greenwashing can be effectively detected through textual analysis of disclosures, particularly when conducting comparative studies between different reports. Building on these results, we argue that targeted reporting standards, advanced assurance methodologies, and clearer boundaries for impression management are essential to curbing greenwashing and strengthening the integrity of sustainability communication.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the underlying mechanism of how passive social networking site (SNS) use happens from aspects of impression management concern, privacy concern, and SNS fatigue, and then examine whether sense of membership can work as a moderator in this process.Design/methodology/approachThe authors proposed a research model by integrating impression management concern, privacy concern, and SNS fatigue. A total of 301 valid online questionnaires were collected, and these data were assessed by PLS-SEM.FindingsThe results show that both impression management concern and privacy concern have direct and positive effects on passive SNS use, and meanwhile they can also indirectly and positively affect passive SNS use through SNS fatigue. Besides, the relationships between impression management concern and its outcomes (SNS fatigue and passive SNS use) can be moderated by sense of membership.Originality/valueThis research is novel in focusing on the formation of passive SNS use and providing new insight into some factors which can trigger users’ passive behaviors in SNS usage. The findings will contribute to SNS literature by offering a well proven conceptual model that facilitates the understanding of passive SNS use.

This study aimed to delve into the intricate dynamics of disclosing invisible disabilities within romantic relationships through the lens of Impression Management Theory. Specifically, we examined how disclosing an invisible disability influences the impression formed by the partner, as indicated by the willingness to continue the relationship. A total of 732 college students without disabilities were randomly assigned to read a scenario in which the main character was told of the current partner’s invisible disability (asthma, epilepsy, or schizophrenia), at different times of disclosure (second date/ three months into a relationship/six months into a relationship). Participants then completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to measure their affective responses following the disclosure. Finally, they rated the main character’s degree of willingness to continue the relationship. Results indicate that negative affect mediated the association between disability type and relationship continuity willingness. Gender-based emotional responses varied, with disclosure timing moderating these effects. For women, revealing schizophrenia later in the relationship correlated with stronger negative emotions and a greater willingness of the partners to continue the relationship. These findings contribute to our comprehension of how disclosing invisible disabilities influences partner impressions, highlighting role of gender dynamics. By applying Impression Management Theory, we have shed light on the multifaceted nature of self-presentation and societal attitudes that shapes the dynamics of romantic relationships. Our findings hold practical implications for individuals navigating the disclosure of disabilities in intimate relationships, while also offering theoretical insights into the complex interplay between societal perceptions and individual experiences.

This study explored the impact of self-leadership on employees' contextual performance, focusing on the mediating role of psychological empowerment and the moderating role of impression management motives. A two-wave survey was conducted via convenience sampling and temporal separation with 202 entry-level employees who had been working for more than 6 months in service and manufacturing industries in Taiwan. The findings of this study were as follows: (a) self-leadership was positively associated with employees' contextual performance, (b) psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between self-leadership and contextual performance, and (c) impression management motives moderated the relationship between psychological empowerment and contextual performance. The research results have theoretical and practical significance, and implications are discussed along with study limitations and future research directions.

Drawing on both the organization identification and impression management theories, we propose that perceived external prestige of frontline employees influences their emotional labor through organizational identification and impression management motive. Further, the relative influence of either pathway depends upon perceived organizational support. Using survey data from 377 frontline employees in 104 hotels, the results indicate that perceived external prestige is positively related to deep acting, and negatively related to surface acting. Organizational identification partially mediates the relationship between perceived external prestige and deep acting. However, the relationship between perceived external prestige and surface acting is partially mediated both by organizational identification and impression management motive. In addition, perceived organizational support positively moderates the relationship between perceived external prestige and organizational identification, and negatively moderates the relationship between perceived external prestige and impression management motive, respectively.