Abstract
This study set out to propose an integrated conceptualisation of the impostor phenomenon and to develop and validate a psychometric instrument – the Work Impostor Phenomenon Scale (WIPS) – to measure it in the workplace. Based on an overview of existing conceptualisations I defined the impostor phenomenon as a psychological experience rooted in self-concept discrepancy, sustained by emotional vulnerabilities, and reinforced through maladaptive coping strategies. I made the WIPS have 8 lower order factors, namely: Low Self-Regard; Perceived Fraudulence; Fear of Exposure; Learned Helplessness; Protective Self-Handicapping; Maladaptive Perfectionism; Emotional Distress; Emotional Instability and 3 second order factors, namely: Impostor Self-Concept; Self-Protective Strategies; Neurotic Impostorism. The initial item pool for the WIPS consisted of 214 items and were written specifically for the workplace context. In Study 1, the data of 351 participants were collected from South Africa and the United States. The graded response model was used to investigate the psychometric properties of the 214-item WIPS. The results showed overall satisfactory psychometric results. Only one scale emerged as potentially problematic. Although most of the Maladaptive Perfectionism items emerged as unidimensional when examined as a lower-order factor, several of the items loaded more strongly on the group factor than the general factor when examined as a second-order factor. Inspection of the item content suggested that items with larger general loadings appeared to measure socially prescribed maladaptive perfectionism, whereas items with larger group loadings appeared to measure self-oriented maladaptive perfectionism. After an analysis of the item properties from Study 1 together with the results from the expert review, 53 items were selected for removal. In Study 2, the data of 406 participants were collected from South African and the United States. In Study 2, the 162-item WIPS, together with the Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale (CIPS; Clance, 1985), and a job performance measure (Williams & Anderson, 1991) were administered and graded response model was applied. The results showed overall satisfactory psychometric properties of the 162-item WIPS. Additionally, the WIPS showed convergent validity with the CIPS. Regression results showed that the WIPS and CIPS total score both had negative partial relationships with In-role Behaviour (IRB) and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) after controlling for gender, age, country and two response sets. Overall, these results suggest that the WIPS is a promising measure of the new proposed conceptualisation of the impostor phenomenon and shows value for further understanding the experience of the impostor phenomenon at work.