Abstract

Promotions are gateways to influential positions of power in organizations. Much work on promotions has examined how changing the promotion decision system—how the promotion is decided—can affect the power-related perceptions and behaviors of the promoted employees. However, I argue that organizations can also actively shape the perceptions and behaviors of the promoted employees through how they deliver those decisions—through narrating them. Specifically, I theorize that “promotion narratives”—the personal explanations organizations provide to promoted employees about why they were promoted—can shape how promoted employees construe the role of others in obtaining a promotion and how they engage with others in the promoted position. Drawing on promotion literature and public promotion announcements, I propose a framework identifying two narrative dimensions: what type of contribution is highlighted (Star Player vs Team Player narrative), and what target of comparison is highlighted (Outstanding vs Growing narrative). Across four studies—an assessment of narratives from recently promoted managers, two experiments testing causal effects, and an assessment of managers’ reports of the behavioral changes they observed in the employees they notified of promotions—I examine how promotion narratives shape how promoted employees see the role of others in their promotion and power attainment as well as their interpersonal behaviors in promoted roles. Through this research, I advance work on promotions, organizational narratives, and power by showing how promotion narratives can serve as a direct lever for influencing promoted individuals’ perceptions of others and interpersonal behaviors.

Committee Chair

Erik Dane

Committee Members

Hannah Birnbaum; Jieun Pai; Markus Baer; Nicholas Hays

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Organizational Behavior

Author's School

Olin Business School

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

5-5-2026

Language

English (en)

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