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PA Enterprise

Shame, fear and guilt – how

managers tackle the ‘imposter

phenomenon’ at work

Do you ever feel like you aren’t good enough for the job you have, and any

success you experience is due to luck? Does this affect your work performance
or have long-term consequences for your career?

If so, you may be experiencing ‘the impostor
phenomenon’, according to new research from
Professors Helena Gonzalez-Gomez, NEOMA
Business School, and Sarah Hudson, Rennes
School of Business.
“The imposter phenomenon (IP) is the feeling
that one’s success is due to unrelated factors,
rather than one’s competence and qualifications,”
says Professor Gonzalez-Gomez.
But what implications does this actually have
on individuals’ careers? Using four studies with
different methodologies and a total of 648
employees in US and Europe, the researchers
investigated the effects of IP on performance and
career outcomes. Ultimately, this research can be used for

According to the researchers, because IP is organisations and managers wishing to develop
linked to a fear of being exposed as a fraud, IP the talent of individuals with the IP.
in the workplace can influence outcomes such For example, because impostors believe they
as employee commitment, stress, coping, or job are failing at work, managerial feedback that
satisfaction directly. avoids direct attributions of personal failure and

“Our findings reveal that in both simulated and rather focuses on how to improve performance
recalled work situations, impostors are likely in a more neutral manner is likely to increase
to feel shame, particularly when they attribute creativity in individuals with IP.
failure to themselves, as well having a negative The researchers also explain that because those
effect on creativity,” says Professor Gonzalez- who feel like impostors tend to underestimate
Gomez. their abilities, managers could also use
The researchers also found that IP is also related appraisal and promotion tools that are more
to the likelihood of an employee finding a job strongly weighted towards externally assessed
elsewhere, and also links to lower career success performance, rather than towards self-
in terms of number of positive appraisals and assessment. These tools could be a useful for
promotions over one’s career. enabling more successful career advancement for
individuals with IP.

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