ABSTRACT
The ideal public and private organization for the 1990s has been described as multicultural in that it not only tolerates but openly embraces differences among employees (Cox, 1991; Cox & Blake, 1991). This chapter focuses on a barrier to achieving the multicultural ideal that has been largely ignored in these discussions—bias on the basis of appearance and in particular against the physically unattractive. At first glance, this may seem peripheral to the issue of workplace discrimination. Yet, appearance standards and norms in organizations can have the effect of favoring the White, the young, and the physically unimpaired. Those who violate these norms can be subjected to severe sanctions. Take, for example, the following incidents.
A TV anchor on a local station is fired because she is “too old, too ugly, unfeminine, and didn’t dress right.”
A black employee of a national pizza chain, cannot shave because of a skin disorder that is more common among Blacks than Whites. Nevertheless, he is fired for wearing a beard in violation of the corporate dress code.
A manager of a car rental agency is dismissed from his job for being obese, despite receiving high performance ratings and eight commendations over a five-year period.
A female employee has the best record in securing contracts for her accounting firm, but her candidacy for partner is deferred largely on the basis of her appearance. She is advised to “wear make-up, have her hair styled, and wear jewelry.”
