• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.77-102
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to know what impression management(IM) tactics social work applicants use in their job interviews and what relation between their IM tactics and interviewers' evaluation exists. To accomplish this purpose, we reviewed the precedent researches about IM and conducted a qualitative study with the applicants in a community welfare center which adopted open approach in recruitment process. We analyzed the applicants' IM tactics through observing video-taped interview sessions and reviewing interviewers' rating paper. The results showed that the social work applicants mainly used self-promotion tactic for emphasizing their strengths and justification tactics for expressing their weaknesses. Some applicants often used fit-with-organization and other-enhancement belonged to ingratiation tactics. According to interviewers' rating results, the applicants with deep eye contact, calm attitude or smiling face gave a good impression to the interviewers. In the final discussion, an applicant who adopted diverse verbal and non-verbal tactics and expressed her point clearly was perceived attractive by the interviewers and accepted as the best choice. Based on this qualitative analysis, we have made several practical suggestions for social work applicants, social work researchers and social work organizations.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.397-413
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• 2020

Humor is often considered as a positive phenomenon, and thus frequently employed as an impression management technique for individuals. However, humor may create unexpected outcomes in terms of impression management. This study investigates the relationship between humor and impression management of individuals within three South Korean organizations. A qualitative methodology is employed and data collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that humor may be used more frequently by workers in superior positions, and it may be dangerous for individuals in subordinate positions to initiate humor, as negative impressions such as lack of professionalism and work competence may be crafter through humor. In particular, traditional Confucian values and expectations may lead to perceptions that humor is inappropriate and even rude when it is used by individuals in subordinate positions. However, humor may help to craft an independent identity, and help alter user's impressions as desired. This suggests that while perceptions towards humor as an impression management tool may embed significant risks, humor may help individuals to influence their impressions and diverge from a stereotypical expectations and impressions of workers(according to their hierarchical status), which may be interpreted in multiple ways. This implies that organizations should be careful in encouraging workers to use humor as an impression management tactic, as the relational outcomes may be complex, depending on the cultural understanding of hierarchy and relationships between communicators.