Changing faces

This conceptual paper asserts that social identity-based impression management is the key to establishing a favorable reputation among diverse constituents in the 21st century work force. Drawing upon social identity and impression management theories, I elucidate the process by which individuals counteract negative stereotyping to construct viable professional images during interactions with diverse constituents. I then highlight the antecedents and consequences of this process, and discuss the contributions of this research to theories of professional image construction, self-presentation and diversity management.