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Does upward ingratiation always work?, ETHRWorld


hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com |

<p>Dr Sumagna Bhowmick, Assistant Professor - Department of OB/HR, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management</p>
Dr Sumagna Bhowmick, Assistant Professor – Department of OB/HR, KJ Somaiya Institute of Management

Ingratiation refers to behaviours that are illicitly enacted to make the target person like you or think well of your qualities. Often involving deliberate flattery, ingratiation is a powerful dramaturgical tool, and the most common impression management tactic used by subordinates to manage relationships with their supervisor at the workplace. In an asymmetric power relationship coupled with high-power distance culture, upward ingratiation is often tolerated and fairly exploited in hierarchized work organizations.In the context of Indian workplace and the possible integration of middle-class values such as ‘sneh-shradha’, the instrumental dependence proneness of Indian subordinates on their supervisor involves cultivating a ‘personalized’ work relationship with their supervisor, which prompts them to engage in ingratiatory behaviours. Ingratiation, thus, becomes a legitimized socio-cultural tool that promises assured returns of advancement. Since the supervisor holds significant decision-making autonomy and controls coveted resources, a subordinate may employ ingratiation tactics or “butter up the boss” to gain favourable career outcomes.Past researchers have suggested there are three primary ingratiation tactics. These are “other enhancement”, involving communication of enhancing or positive evaluative…


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