Psyched-up to Suck-up: Self-regulated Cognition, Interpersonal Influence, and Recommendations for Board Appointments in the Corporate Elite

This study reveals how self-regulated cognition in advance of social interaction can resolve the so-called “ingratiator’s dilemma,” which is that the most attractive targets of social influence—those who have relatively high social status—tend to be the most difficult to ingratiate successfully. Our theoretical argument suggests that in anticipation of social interaction with a relatively high-status colleague, corporate directors tend to...