A Literature Review on Impression Management Tactics in CEO Messages

Öz

In daily life, individuals can exhibit different behaviors in order to influence the opinions of people in their social environment about themselves. This situation is seen in business life as well as in personal life and employees resort to various tactics to influence individuals' impressions about themselves. In terms of senior management, CEOs represent their companies and are followed by their interested parties. Considering the effects of CEOs' statements on both internal and external stakeholders, the impression management tactics in their messages can play an important role in influencing the audience's opinions about the company. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a literature research to identify the impression management tactics in the texts of CEOs'. Twenty-nine articles examined on the subject reveal that CEOs' personality and demographic characteristics, founder status, recognition and culture have an impact on how CEOs manage their impressions. In addition, impression management plays a role in communicating with stakeholders in times of crisis, influencing the forecasting behavior of financial analysts, and providing insight to followers about the possibility of CEOs leaving their positions. Moreover, impression management tactics may differ depending on the type of reports containing CEO messages and the company's performance. Research also reveals similarities and differences in the messages written by CEOs and board chairs. When the studies are analyzed, it is seen that in addition to topics such as sustainability and intellectual capital in CEOs' statements, negative expressions are also discussed within the scope of impression management.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• CEO Messages
• Impression Management
• Self-Presentation

CEO Mesajlarındaki İzlenim Yönetimi Taktikleri Üzerine Bir Literatür Araştırması

Öz

Günlük yaşamda bireyler, sosyal çevrelerindeki insanların kendileri hakkındaki düşüncelerini etkileyebilmek için farklı davranış biçimleri sergileyebilmektedirler. Bu durum kişisel yaşamda olduğu kadar iş yaşamında da görülmekte ve çalışanlar bireylerin kendileri hakkındaki izlenimlerini etkileyebilmek için çeşitli taktiklere başvurmaktadırlar. Üst düzey yönetime bakıldığında ise CEO’lar, şirketlerini temsil etmekte ve ilgilileri tarafından takip edilmektedirler. CEO’ların açıklamalarının gerek iç gerekse dış paydaşlar üzerindeki etkileri dikkate alındığında, mesajlarında yer alan izlenim yönetimi taktikleri izleyicilerin şirket hakkındaki düşüncelerini etkilemede önemli bir rol oynayabilmektedir. Bu nedenle çalışmada, CEO’ların metinlerinde yer alan izlenim yönetimi taktilerini belirlemeye yönelik bir literatür araştırması yapılması hedeflenmiştir. Konu ile ilgili incelenen yirmi dokuz makale sonucunda CEO’ların kişilik ve demografik özelliklerinin, kurucu olma statülerinin, tanınırlıklarının ve kültürlerinin CEO’ların izlenimlerini nasıl yönettikleri üzerinde etkili olduğu görülmektedir. Bununla birlikte izlenim yönetimi kriz dönemlerinde paydaşlarla iletişimde, finansal analistlerin tahmin davranışlarını etkilemede ve CEO’ların görevden ayrılma ihtimallerine ilişkin takipçilere fikir sunmada rol oynamaktadır. Ayrıca CEO’ların mesajlarının yer aldığı raporların türü ve şirketin performansına göre de izlenim yönetimi taktikleri farklılaşabilmektedir. Araştırmalar aynı zamanda CEO'lar ve yönetim kurulu başkanları tarafından yazılan mesajlardaki benzerlikleri ve farklılıkları da ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Çalışmalar incelendiğinde, CEO'ların açıklamalarında yer alan sürdürülebilirlik ve entelektüel sermaye gibi konuların yanı sıra olumsuz ifadelerin de izlenim yönetimi kapsamında ele alındığı görülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• CEO Mesajları
• İzlenim Yönetimi
• Benlik Sunumu

Kaynakça

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