This study proposed a model based on motivation theory to examine the influence of regulatory focus (promotion focus and prevention focus) on job performance via ingratiatory tactics (enhancement of others, opinion conformity, rendering favors, and self-presentation) as well as the moderating roles of political skill. This study conducted the quantitative design to collect data from 210 pairs of employees and managers at enterprises in Taiwan, via the dyad data-collection design to reduce the biases of common method variance. The upward ingratiation is a commonly socialized behavior in which an individual attempts to influence supervisors by becoming more attractive to their targets. Individuals with promotion focus carry out enhancement of others, rendering favors, self-presentation strategies when ingratiating their supervisors, whereas individuals with prevention focus are prone to conduct opinion conformity strategy in the upward ingratiation. Furthermore, it was found that subordinates’ political skill moderate the effects of ingratiation on their supervisors’ evaluation. This study denoted that individuals with different focus view attain their goals by ingratiating their supervisors with different tactics. The implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

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