Charming the system: decoding organizational ingratiation through employee narratives from hospitality employees

Abstract

This study investigates how hospitality employees perceive and experience organizational ingratiation, a subtle and underexplored aspect of workplace behaviour that can shape professional dynamics and outcomes. Addressing a notable gap in organizational behaviour literature, the research focuses specifically on the hospitality sector—a highly interpersonal and service-driven industry where ingratiation may be especially prevalent. The study adopts a qualitative design, utilizing in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 26 hotel employees in North Cyprus. Interview data were thematically analyzed and further triangulated using Leximancer software to enhance validity and reduce researcher bias. The analysis revealed seven major themes related to ingratiation: Networking, Performance Rating, Self-Promotion, Career, Work Environment, Manipulation as well as Inequality. While some themes such as networking and career advancement—were associated with perceived benefits, others like manipulation, inequality, and negative impacts on the work environment highlighted critical drawbacks. By capturing the dual nature of ingratiation through employee narratives, this study provides practical insights for hospitality management and contributes to a more nuanced understanding of organizational behaviour in service-oriented industries.