In the Last Month, Stacey, an Intelligent and Astute Employee

Multiple Choice

In the last month, Stacey, an intelligent and astute employee, has finished only half the work she was scheduled to complete. In addition, she has been taking frequent leaves, citing her ill health as the reason, but her manager suspects she has been playing truant. When the manager confronted her about her pending work, Stacey gave excuses: the work was time consuming, she was unwell, and it was not a high-priority project in the first place. In this scenario, Stacey is using a(n) ________ impression management technique.

A) self-focused
B) assertive
C) aggressive
D) defensive
E) ingratiation-based