Gender Differences in Impression Management in Organizations: A Qualitative Review

In this article we review the literature on impression management to determine if there are substantial gender differences in the employment of impression management tactics in organizational contexts. Based on a social roles theory perspective (Eagly, 1987), we examined use of impression management tactics in organizational settings for gender differences in behavior. We expected that men and women would generally report using impression management tactics consistent with gender role expectations and that this might not be advantageous to women in the corporate world. Our review of the literature supported our expectations. We conclude with implications of these findings for an enriched understanding of organizational behavior.