Mateusz Grzesiak

WSB University, Poland

E-mail: mgrzesiak@wsb.edu.pl 

ORCID 0000-0003-4017-0912

Strategic personal branding and visibility in modern academia

Łukasz Sułkowski

Jagiellonian University,

Cracow, Poland

E-mail: lukasz.sulkowski@uj.edu.pl

ORCID 0000-0002-1248-2743

Justyna Dziedzic

University of Lodz,

Lodz, Poland

E-mail: justyna.dziedzic@uni.lodz.pl

ORCID 0000-0002-8292-0892

Abstract. This study investigates how academics in Poland construct personal brands and manage impressions across traditional, digital, and institutional arenas, and examines the relationships between branding practices, authenticity, and perceived visibility. Drawing on Goffman’s dramaturgical theory, impression-management research, and personal branding literature, the study employs an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Qualitative data were collected through 12 semi-structured interviews with highly visible scholars, followed by a cross-sectional CAWI survey of 279 researchers from leading Polish universities. The qualitative analysis identified three interconnected domains (self-presentation strategies, performance arenas, and identity tensions) and revealed that branding efforts are consistently balanced against scientific integrity and a cultural norm of modesty. The quantitative findings showed that branding activity and the diversity of communication platforms were positively associated with perceived visibility, whereas discomfort with self-promotion was negatively associated with it. Perceived authenticity, by contrast, was not significantly associated with self-assessed reputation or credibility; instead, it structured an internal tension between identity coherence and the felt need to compromise. Declared citation counts likewise did not differentiate self-presentation, indicating that academic perceived visibility rests on branding activity and strategy rather than on bibliometric output or authenticity per se. These findings highlight the growing importance of personal branding in academic careers. 

Received: July, 2025

1st Revision: May, 2026

Accepted: June, 2026

DOI: 10.14254/2071-789X.2026/19-2/8

JEL Classification: I23, M31, Z13

Keywords: personal branding, impression management, authenticity, brand management, academic visibility