Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to classify economic impact studies of higher Education institutions through the lens of impression management theory and to create a taxonomy of collegiate economic impact studies as informed via impression management. Twenty-four economic impact studies from the state of Ohio were examined to identify three impression management tactics: self-promotion, ingratiation, and supplication. Literature was included in the study to illustrate the role that technology transfer, resource dependence theory, branding, and marketing have upon colleges and universities. The first goal of the study was to identify how institutions of higher Education utilize impression management tactics in economic impact studies. Both words and phrases were examined and recorded by the researcher and content coder in order to provide depth of the content analyzed. All 24 economic impact studies contained self-promotion and ingratiation. Eleven studies contained elements of supplication. Based on the prevalence of impression management tactics in economic impact studies, a taxonomy was created to appropriately explain various archetypes, which was the second goal of the study. The taxonomy identified five archetypes: accomplished, benevolent, confident, dependable, and expecting. Each of these archetypes contain specific meanings that convey how each institutions economic impact study captures the elements of impression management.

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