Ingratiation Scale – Chinese Version

Description

Impression Management (IM) in the workplace is pervasive, with scholars primarily focusing on Ingratiation behavior. The social psychologist Jones first studied Ingratiation, defining it as a form of impression management aimed at increasing one’s social attractiveness. This concept includes two components: the Ingratiation behavior itself and the intent behind it. The motivation behind Ingratiation is further divided into short-term and long-term motivations. Short-term motivation seeks to change the target’s attitude towards the ingratiator to satisfy personal needs, while long-term motivation aims to gain some power from the target. Tedeschi and Melburg were the first to introduce Ingratiation into organizational behavior research, seeing it as a proactive behavior individuals adopt to enhance their interpersonal attractiveness to superiors, hoping to obtain limited resources within the organization. Recently, Tsang proposed a framework on Ingratiation behavior within a Chinese context, suggesting that Western definitions may not be applicable to the cultural background of China. He redefined Ingratiation from a relational perspective, considering it as a relationship management strategy where individuals employ interpersonal relationships, face, and attractiveness to establish, maintain, and promote social relationships.

Authors and Contact Email

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Purpose

The main purpose of the research is to explore Ingratiation behaviors in the workplace, particularly within Chinese cultural contexts, and to measure the tendencies of individuals to engage in such behaviors.

Test Year

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Administration Method and Scoring

The Ingratiation Scale (逢迎量表) was developed to measure the tendency of individuals to engage in Ingratiation behaviors, consisting of 24 items. The response scale ranges from 1 to 5, representing “完全不同意” (Strongly Disagree), “比较不同意” (Disagree), “不确定” (Neutral), “比较同意” (Agree), and “完全同意” (Strongly Agree).

Reliability and Validity

The overall Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of the Ingratiation scale in Xiong Cheng’s research was 0.895. In Li Jingjing’s study, the scale exhibited a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.735, with the following sub-dimensions having the respective Cronbach’s Alpha: Complimenting Others (恭维他人) 0.894, Conforming to Views (观点遵从) 0.899, Self-Presentation (自我表现) 0.860, and Doing Favors (施惠对方) 0.882.

Factors and Subscales

The Ingratiation Scale is primarily composed of the following four dimensions:
1. 自我表现 (Self-Presentation)
2. 观点遵从 (Conforming to Views)
3. 恭维他人 (Complimenting Others)
4. 施惠对方 (Doing Favors)

Keywords

Impression management, Ingratiation behavior, organizational behavior, relationship management, Chinese context

Items in Chinese

1. 给你的上司留下只有她/他能在特定情况下帮助你的深刻印象，这么做主要是为了让她/他自我感觉良好
2. 在没有上司参加的会议上强调在他/她领导下取得的成就
3. 告诉上司你可以从他/她的经历中学到很多
4. 夸大上司令人钦佩的品质，以表达你对他/她高度评价的印象
5. 在上司认为他/她擅长的领域向他/她征求意见，让他/她觉得你钦佩他的/她的才华
6. 寻找机会赞美你的上司
7. 称赞上司的成就，不管这些成就对你个人来说有多微不足道
8. 向上司展示你对他/她的新想法的热情，即使你可能并不喜欢
9. 经常微笑对上司感兴趣的某事表现热情/兴趣，即使你对其并不感兴趣
10. 表达与上司相似的工作态度，让他/她知道你们两个是一样的
11. 在琐碎或不重要的问题上与上司意见分歧，但在上司希望你支持的问题上意见一致
12. 尽量模仿你上司的工作行为，比如加班或偶尔在周末工作
13. 让你的上司知道你对他/她的态度
14. 即使你上司的笑话不是很好笑，你也会开怀大笑
15. 试着让上司知道你很受同事们喜欢
16. 确保上司知道你的成功之处
17. 寻找机会让上司了解你的优点/长处
18. 当你试图说服你的上司相信你的能力时，试着有说服力地展示你自己的能力
19. 试着为你的上司做些事情，以显示你的慷慨
20. 给你的上司跑腿
21. 会动用您的个人关系来帮助您的上司解决个人问题
22. 在寻找一个好的公寓，寻找一个好的保险代理人等方面，自愿为你的上司提供帮助
23. 花时间倾听上司的个人问题，即使你对这些问题不感兴趣
24. 自愿帮助你的上司工作，即使这对你来说意味着额外的工作

Items in English

1. You leave a deep impression on your superior that only he/she can help you in specific situations, primarily to make him/her feel good about themselves.
2. You emphasize achievements made under his/her leadership in meetings where he/she is not present.
3. You tell your superior that you can learn a lot from his/her experiences.
4. You exaggerate admirable qualities of your superior to convey a high evaluation of him/her.
5. You seek advice from your superior in areas he/she is skilled in, making him/her feel like you admire his/her talents.
6. You look for opportunities to praise your superior.
7. You commend your superior’s accomplishments, regardless of how trivial they may be to you personally.
8. You show enthusiasm for your superior’s new ideas, even if you might not like them.
9. You often smile and express enthusiasm/interest in something your superior cares about, even if you are not interested.
10. You express a work attitude similar to your superior’s, letting him/her know that you are alike.
11. You disagree with your superior on trivial or unimportant issues but agree on matters where he/she expects your support.
12. You try to mimic your superior’s work behaviors, such as working late or occasionally working on weekends.
13. You let your superior know your attitude towards him/her.
14. Even if your superior’s jokes are not funny, you laugh heartily.
15. You try to make your superior aware that you are liked by your colleagues.
16. You ensure your superior knows your successes.
17. You seek opportunities for your superior to understand your strengths.
18. When trying to persuade your superior about your abilities, you actively and persuasively demonstrate your capabilities.
19. You try to do things for your superior to show your generosity.
20. You run errands for your superior.
21. You use your personal relationships to help your superior solve personal issues.
22. You voluntarily offer assistance to your superior in finding a good apartment, insurance agent, etc.
23. You take time to listen to your superior’s personal issues, even if you’re not interested in them.
24. You voluntarily help your superior with work, even if it means extra work for you.

References

李晶晶.下属逢迎特质对其促进性建言行为的影响研究[D].辽宁大学,2020.DOI:10.27209/d.cnki.glniu.2020.001109.
熊成.自恋型领导与下属工作投入——基于下属及其同事的双重视角[D].河南大学,2022.DOI:10.27114/d.cnki.ghnau.2022.001959.