In today's media, the notion that sex appeal is a good thing is everywhere - even in the workplace. Just check out the legs and cleavage of women playing professional roles in various TV shows and the movies.
But how does sexiness play out in the real workplace?
Not well, according to a study published in a recent issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly (Fall 2005).
The reality is that female professionals who show off their "assets" are playing with fire. In the study, these women were seen as less trustworthy, less sociable and more incompetent than a conservatively dressed female professional.
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| Female managers who dress conservatively were found to be more accepted in a study done by a Wisconsin university. |
"The overall thing that is salient to me is the dilemma women face in the work world," says Peter Glick, a psychology professor at Lawrence University in Wisconsin who led the study.
"It's something where women have to toe a finer line. They do have more of these choices (of clothing) that potentially could sabotage them, much more so than men."
Glick's students developed the research project. He says that scores of previous studies have focused on attractiveness, and research has shown that men and women who are perceived to be good looking benefit greatly.
For example, such studies have demonstrated that attractive people often earn more money and receive more favourable performance reviews.
Glick and his students, however, took a slightly different angle. They wanted to see how sexy self-presentation affected attitudes toward women.
In the study, male and female undergraduates evaluated a videotaped female who was (a) dressed in sexy or business-like attire and (b) was allegedly a secretary or a manager.
In the case of the sexily presented manager - "basically she showed a lot more cleavage" - the participants demonstrated significantly more negative emotions toward her.
"That was the one piece that stood out," Glick says. "They viewed her as less trustworthy, maybe more threatening and they saw her as less competent (than the conservatively dressed manager)."
The differences were "palpable," says Glick, but not surprising. Based on previous research he and others have conducted, he speculates that the negative reaction occurred for a few reasons:
* The sexily dressed manager was seen as a threat, someone who manipulated her looks to her advantage, or slept her way to the top.
* She might be vapid or a bimbo, perhaps having earned her degree at a poorer academic institution.
* And, if perceived as ultra-feminine because of her appearance, she wasn't considered fit for the typically more "masculine" role of a manager.
The study also gauged the reaction to the receptionist's altered appearance.
Interestingly, there was no negative impact emotionally, nor on her perceived competence whether she dressed in black slacks, turtleneck, flat shoes and wore little makeup or dressed more provocatively in a tight knee-length skirt, low-cut shirt with a cardigan over it, and high heels (the same attire worn by the manager).
Glick believes the receptionist had more leeway for cultural reasons.
In the past, and perhaps today, women such as flight attendants, receptionists and food servers were expected to display a certain sex appeal. "It's not seen as threatening in the same way as a manager, because she holds this lower-status position."
Glick says that while media messages promote the notion that women should emphasize their sex appeal, his group's research, which he says should now be broadened, sends a warning: An otherwise competent female manager can pay a heavy price for the clothing she wears.
Sue Jacques, Calgary-based president of Influence etiquette and protocol ltd., believes there is confusion about dressing for the workplace.
"We hear commonly, 'It shouldn't matter what I wear, it should matter what I know and how I do my work,'" she says. "The fact of the matter is, people form impressions about us before they know what we are capable of.
"Unless your resume is tattooed on your forehead, people read about you from what they see."
Although companies helped create confusion by allowing formal dress policies to lapse in recent years, Jacques says individuals have a personal responsibility.
The bottom line is that employees must represent themselves, their profession and their companies with pride, Jacques says, noting many businesses she works with are rewriting new dress codes and ending the confusion by returning to a more formal style of dress.
Companies realize that their greatest asset is their staff, who represent the organization in the community every day.
Businesses have the "privilege," Jacques says, to expect that they will be well represented in a number of ways, including how employees dress.
Employees who either dress provocatively - which can be very distracting - or who show up in casual wear inevitably raise questions.
First, Jacques says, do you take yourself seriously, and more importantly, from the client's point of view, do you take them seriously?
"Is your appearance a reflection of the work that you are going to produce for me?" she asks. "That question is almost at a subconscious level, but it's often there."
With regard to the attire of a receptionist, it's important to remember that this is the first person a client sees, she says.
That person has the opportunity to set the tone for the level of professionalism of the entire operation.
Dressing well also shows respect for colleagues. Although an employee may not be seeing clients on a particular day, it's no excuse to dress inappropriately.
It's not who you are seeing, but who sees you, Jacques says. Someone else's important client may see you and that can leave a negative perception. Increasingly, she adds, companies are dealing with international clients who have no concept about things like casual Fridays.
"What message are we sending ... if we are showing up looking like we're ready to go to the martini lounge after work?" Jacques asks.
As recent research suggests, it may not be a pretty message at all.
Web Watch: www.influenceetiquette.com
(Mike Dempster can be reached at miked@businessedge.ca)
