Tactics of hierarchy negotiation

Since resources flow to those at the top of the hierarchy in all known groups, “getting ahead” is assumed to be one of the central human motivations. The present research project was designed to assess tactics of hierarchy negotiation, identify the robustness of their factor structure, and relate tactics use with personality traits, values, and salary. The participants were 315 professionals in two work settings. Measures included assessments of tactics of hierarchy negotiation, personality traits, life values, and work-related variables. The results established the robustness of three factors of hierarchy negotiation: Deception/Manipulation, Social Display/Networking, and Industriousness/Knowledge. These factors showed coherent links with personality traits and values and predicted salary above and beyond the effects of personality traits. The discussion focuses on implications of the results and directions for future research.