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The Effect of Physical Attractiveness on Job Success

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The Effect of Physical Attractiveness on Job Success
Abstract:

Although both intelligence and competence are vital to success, a person’s physical appearance can help or hinder their ability to succeed. This paper divides physical appearance into height, weight, and facial attractiveness, which are examined based on their differing effects in men and women and how society’s perception of each factor shapes their effect on success. This paper then goes on to explain how appearance can actually have a deeper, more profound impact on the personality of a person, which may predispose them for success. When including the effects of education, higher self-confidence and better skills afford more success in a business environment where emphasis is placed on how well an individual can communicate, connect, and persuade.

Introduction: Can physical appearance affect a person’s ability to succeed in the business world? Growing up, the idea that hard work and perseverance will ultimately lead to success is instilled in the minds of children and repeated all throughout their education and careers. But is this really a golden ticket to an impressive job title and high-paying salary? Some factors suggest otherwise. Height, weight, and facial attractiveness have been seen to impact the success that one may achieve in the job market. This is not to say however, that physical appearance trumps intelligence and job-competence. Rather, when looking at all working individuals, a correlation emerges among the top earning and highest achieving. Both the degree to which these traits align with society’s perceptions of power and competence and the underlying effects that attractiveness can have on an individual can predispose one for career success.
Height
An individual’s salary and success level are contingent upon their height and furthermore, their income can actually be penalized if the person has only attained the nation’s average height. In examining society’s perception of success, taller



References: Cawley, John. (August 2000). Body Weight and Women’s Labor Market Outcomes. National Bureau of Economic Research. Working Paper 7841. Retrieved from: http://www.nber.org/papers/w7841 Dittmann, M. (7/2004). Standing Tall Pays Off, Study Finds. American Psychological Association, volume 35. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug04/standing.aspx Engemann, Kristie M. and Michael T. Owyang. (April 2005). So Much for That Merit Raise: The Link between Wages and Appearance. The Regional Economist. Retrieved from http://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/re/articles/?id=362. Feng, Charles. 2002. Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty. Journal of Young Investigators, volume 6. Retrieved from: http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue6/features/feng.html Gladwell, Malcolm. (2005). Blink. Washington, DC: Little, Brown and Company. Hannover, Bettina & Kühnen, Ulrich. (7/31/2006). The Clothing Makes the Self. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, volume 32. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb02754.x/abstract Hight, Joseph. (6/18/2012). "Beauty Pays," Leading Labor Economist Writes a Book on Beauty. Examiner. Retrieved from: http://www.examiner.com/review/leading-labor-economist-writes-a-book-on-beauty Jones, Del. (7/18/2007). Does height equal power? Some CEOs say yes. USA Today. Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2007-07-17-ceo-dominant-behavior_N.htm

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