When Ingratiation Backfires: The Role of Political Skill in the Ingratiation-Internship Performance Relationship

Seeking to understand intern behavior and skill that influence internship experiences, we examine the effects of intern ingratiating behavior, political skill, and supervisor liking on internship job performance ratings. Specifically, we hypothesize that intern ingratiation leads to higher internship performance ratings from supervisors when coupled with high levels of political skill and to lower ratings from supervisors when coupled with low levels of political skill. We further hypothesize that these relationships are mediated by supervisor liking of the interns. We gathered three rounds of survey data from college students undertaking retail internships and their supervisors. The results demonstrate overall support for the proposed mediated moderation model, but also indicate patterns likely unique to the internship context. Implications for theory and research, strengths and limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are provided.