Dress for Success

Assignment #9 - Dress for Success 1. Do you think Cohen had a right to be offended? Why or why not?

Cohen had not a right to be offended. She rebuked and wasn’t allowed to attend such an internal meeting; I think it is not appropriate. The older colleague could understand her that was not right dress for the company and she should not attire such dress another time. The colleague could allow her in such internal meeting for first time. The company does not provide the dress information before the meeting; it is the company’s mistake. And Cohen as a new employee, she is unable to know the dress rule for the meeting. So Cohen should have right to attend the meeting at this time. To fix the problem, the company should have dress code policies that include accessory item as well. And each employee must receive a copy of the policy.

2. Does an employer have an unfettered right to set a company’s dress code? Why or why not?

Of course, the employer have an unfettered right to set a company’s dress code. The employer has the power to set a company’s dress code, based on the employees is dependency relationship to company. Although I think that the employer should consider many more factors such as belief, values of employees before setting a dress code. A distinct dress code makes a company distinct which will help the company to maintain brand retention and loyalty. When an employer hired the new employees, they should tell the rule of dress code to the new employees. To do so it can drive the employees know and willing to conform the company’s dress code. And setting a dress code in the workplace will have various benefits to the employees as well as to the company. Firstly, having a dress code will ensure that everyone understands what is expected of them and allows protection for the business. Secondly, by having a policy that stipulates what is appropriate and inappropriate this will also ensure that the business and its employees can be free of some forms of sexual harassment or favoritism based on a provocative style of a person's clothes. Thirdly, in order to maintain a professional appearance, managers need to dress slightly better than their employees but still within a comfortable or safe realm befitting their work area.

3. How far would you go to conform to an organization’s dress code? If your boss dressed in a relatively formal manner, would you feel compelled to dress in a like manner to manage impressions?

I will be highly conformed to an organization’s dress code. An organization the power to set the dress code, I am the employee and am dependency relationship with the organization; so I have no choice beside conform to the dress code. And the dress code can be the rules of the company, I must follow the rules. Boss has the coercive, reward, and legitimate power. So there is no alternative of ingratiation to manage the impression of boss, so I will follow all the ways (except unethical) to ingratiate the boss. If my boss is dressed in a relatively formal manner, I will try to follow my boss’s formality which he/she likes. But I will not feel compelled to dress in a like manner to manage impressions.