NEW YORK, USA - If there has been a bit more false flattery and loud enthusiasm at the office than usual, do not be surprised.

Whether it is called buttering up the boss or sucking up, experts say ingratiating behaviour is sure to increase as workers fret about keeping their jobs in tough economic times.

But such behaviour can be bad for business, they noted.

Said Mr Max Caldwell of consultancy Towers Perrin: 'It's a mentality of 'I not only want to do a good job, but I want to be seen as doing a good job'.'

And that rises when stakes are high, said Dr Jennifer Chatman, professor of organisational behaviour at the University of California at Berkeley.

'It's what we do when we feel ourselves vulnerable or susceptible to the decisions of others,' she said.

In such an environment, underlings may be more likely to lavish praise on bad decisions or poor judgment by a boss and avoid being candid or being bearers of bad news, she said.

Some say sucking up works - it raised the likelihood of being appointed to a corporate board by 64 per cent, a University of Texas study found.

In a study by Dr Chatman, jobseekers using ingratiating behaviour were 20 per cent more likely to land a job.

And the behaviour is nothing to be ashamed of, said professional coach Frances Cole Jones. 'These days, employees need to be flexible, ambidextrous, creative and committed.'