Self-enhancement in upward advice transmission: an integrative literature review

Abstract

The increased number and complexity of choices that take place in today’s globalized world makes the need for “expert advice” more than ever in decision making (Humphrey, Hollenbeck, Meyer, & Ilgen, 2002). Few decisions in organizational contexts, however, are structured like juries. The need in organizational contexts for accountability and speed generally means that hierarchical authorities make decisions, typically after receiving input from a staff or subordinates or other informed parties (Humphrey, Hollenbeck, Meyer, & Ilgen, 2002). Given this context, the aim of this work redeems to giving a broad set of concepts related to a particular case of advice taking, which is upward advice transmission in organizations, which affects in performance feedback through mechanisms of self-defense, like self-enhancement. To achieve this, an extensive literature review is done from general terms to more particular ones, defining processes as Decision Making, Advice Transmission, the particular case of Upward Advice Transmission (UAT) and some mechanisms that may make this phenomenon more difficult to happen, essentially, the one described as self-enhancement. This work provides the theoretical bases for future research in a subject that has been undertaken and understudied, especially in a context where most organizations are interested in empowerment. By reading this work, the reader should be able to dimension the connections between the subjects mentioned above and have some insights on what future research should aim for.