Do employees' tattoos leave a mark on customers' reactions to products and organizations?
Summary Previous research has shown negative evaluations of tattooed employees in the workplace, particularly in white‐collar jobs and by hiring managers (e.g., Henle et al., 2021, as they are perceived to possibly damage an organization's image. Drawing on the stereotype and stigma literatures...
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| Published in: | Journal of organizational behavior 2022-07, Vol.43 (6), p.965-982 |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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Previous research has shown negative evaluations of tattooed employees in the workplace, particularly in white‐collar jobs and by hiring managers (e.g., Henle et al., 2021, as they are perceived to possibly damage an organization's image. Drawing on the stereotype and stigma literatures (e.g., Kunda & Spencer, 2003, Zhang et al., 2021), we examined how customers evaluate tattooed employees and the organizations for which they work. We also explored the role of tattoo‐related stereotypes as a mechanism to explain the influence of employee tattoos on customers' reactions. Across two studies, we found that customers held both negative and positive stereotypes about tattooed employees but they did not display more negative attitudes or behaviors toward tattooed (vs. non‐tattooed) employees. Further, in white‐collar jobs that involve artistic skills, tattooed employees were viewed more positively, which in turn was related to greater hiring intentions for these employees compared to non‐tattooed employees. We discuss implications of our findings with respect to the shifting nature of tattoos as stigma, the role of stereotype application in understanding tattoo stigma, and the value of considering greater contextual factors in the evaluation of how tattooed employees affect organizations. |
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| ISSN: | 0894-3796 1099-1379 |