On Slipping When You Thought You Had Put Your Best Foot Forward: Self-Promotion, Self-Destruction, and Entitlements

Abstract

The article comprises three studies that investigated the efficiency of an impression management tactic known as an entitlement. Partici pants read a brief scenario describing the work of a fictitious research team in all three studies. Study 1 manipulated whether the entitlement was verified by a third party; Study 2 manipulated whether consensus regarding the direction the research team had taken would affect the entitlement's efficacy, and Study 3 manipu lated whether a self-entitlement and an other-entitlement would be differentially effective. Results showed that the entitlement could increase and decrease ratings of the entitler; these findings were discussed in terms of their effect on perceptions of scenario selection, promotion, and organizational politics.