Business Groups after Incidents of Wrongdoing: Exploring the Effectiveness of Differentiated Versus Aligned Impression Management Tactics
基于归因理论，通过三项实验研究发现，当企业集团中一家公司发生不当行为时，其他关联公司采用与违规公司不同的技术性和仪式性印象管理策略，才能有效区分无辜与违规企业，但若外部利益相关者察觉策略是刻意协调的，则可能适得其反。
Abstract We use attribution theory to understand how people evaluate a company when another company in the same business network does something wrong. In studying business groups, we find that when one company affiliated with a group commits wrongdoing, the strategies used by other affiliated companies to manage how they are evaluated are only effective when they use tactics that differ from those used by the deviant firm. Specifically, results from three experimental studies suggest that affiliated firms should use differentiated technical and ceremonial impression management tactics to help evaluators distinguish between innocent and deviant companies. Our findings also reveal the conditions for such successful differentiation, demonstrating that it is particularly effective when companies have a history of wrongdoing but can backfire if external stakeholders become aware that these actions are intentionally coordinated. Our findings provide novel insights into the impression management literature by exploring the dynamic interplay between the impression management strategies of connected but noncompeting organizations. We also contribute to the business group literature by revealing the delicacy of coordinating affiliates.