Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T23:18:37.909Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An unintended consequence? Examining the relationship between visible tattoos and unwanted sexual attention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2019

Michael J. Tews Open the ORCID record for Michael J. Tews [Opens in a new window] ,
Kathryn Stafford  and
Philip M. Jolly
Michael J. Tews*
Affiliation:
School of Hospitality Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802, USA
Kathryn Stafford
Affiliation:
Department of Human Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210, USA,
Philip M. Jolly
Affiliation:
School of Hospitality Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In the wake of the increasing popularity of tattoos, the present study explored whether tattoos have an adverse impact on employees. Specifically, this research examined the relationship between visible tattoos and unwanted sexual attention, along with perceived sexual harassment climate and perceived inclusion climate as potential moderators of this relationship. With a sample of 417 restaurant and retail employees, the results from logistic regression analyses demonstrated that possessing a visible tattoo was associated with increased odds of experiencing unwanted sexual attention. Perceived inclusion climate attenuated this relationship, whereby individuals with visible tattoos were less likely to experience unwanted sexual attention in a more favorable climate. Although perceived sexual harassment climate was directly related to unwanted sexual attention, it did not moderate the visible tattoo-unwanted sexual attention relationship.

Keywords

tattoosunwanted sexual attentionsexual harassmentorganizational climate
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , March 2020 , pp. 152 - 167
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baumann, C., Timming, A. R., & Gollan, P. J. (2016). Taboo tattoos? A study of the gendered effects of body art on consumers’ attitudes toward visibly tattooed front line staff. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 29, 31–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broussard, K. A., & Harton, H. C. (2017). Tattoo or taboo? Tattoo stigma and negative attitudes toward tattooed individuals. Journal of Social Psychology, 158(5), 521–540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Camacho, J., & Brown, W. (2018). The evolution of the tattoo in defiance of the immutable definition of deviance: Current perceptions by law enforcement of tattooed arrestees. Deviant Behavior, 39(8), 1023–1041.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, D. K. S., Lam, C. B., Chow, S. Y., & Cheung, S. F. (2008). Examining the job-related, psychological, and physical outcomes of workplace sexual harassment: A meta-analytic review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(4), 362–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooper, C. D., Kong, D. T., & Crossley, C. D. (2018). Leader humor as an interpersonal resource: Integrating three theoretical perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, 61(2), 769–796.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dean, D. H. (2010). Consumer perceptions of visible tattoos on service personnel. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 20(3), 294–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Degelman, D., & Price, N. D. (2002). Tattoos and ratings of personal characteristics. Psychological Reports, 90(2), 507–514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeMello, M. (1995). ‘Not just for bikers anymore’: Popular representations of American tattooing. The Journal of Popular Culture, 29(3), 37–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickson, L., Dukes, R. L., Smith, H., & Strapko, N. (2015). To ink or not to ink: The meaning of tattoos among college students. College Student Journal, 49(1), 106–120.Google Scholar
DiTomaso, N., Post, C., & Parks-Yancy, R. (2007). Workforce diversity and inequality: Power, status, and numbers. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, 473–501.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dwertmann, D. J., Nishii, L. H., & Van Knippenberg, D. (2016). Disentangling the fairness & discrimination and synergy perspectives on diversity climate: Moving the field forward. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1136–1168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Estrada, A. X., Olson, K. J., Harbke, C. R., & Berggren, A. W. (2011). Evaluating a brief scale measuring psychological climate for sexual harassment. Military Psychology, 23, 410–432.Google Scholar
Ferdman, B. M. (2017). Paradoxes of inclusion: Understanding and managing the tensions of diversity and multiculturalism. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 53(2), 235–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fitzgerald, L. F., Drasgow, F., Hulin, C. L., Gelfand, M. J., & Magley, V. J. (1997). Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(4), 578–589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fitzgerald, L. F., Gelfand, M. J., & Drasgow, F. (1995). Measuring sexual harassment: Theoretical and psychometric advances. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 17(4), 425–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frye, J. (2017, November 20). Not just the rich and famous. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/news/2017/11/20/443139/not-just-rich-famous/.Google Scholar
Gelfand, M. J., Fitzgerald, L. F., & Drasgow, F. (1995). The structure of sexual harassment: A confirmatory analysis across cultures and settings. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 47(2), 164–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gruber, J. E., & Bjorn, L. (1982). Blue-collar blues: The sexual harassment of women autoworkers. Work and Occupations, 9(3), 271–298.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halnon, K. B., & Cohen, S. (2006). Muscles, motorcycles and tattoos: Gentrification in a new frontier. Journal of Consumer Culture, 6(1), 33–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herdman, A. O., & McMillan-Capehart, A. (2010). Establishing a diversity program is not enough: Exploring the determinants of diversity climate. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(1), 39–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heywood, W., Patrick, K., Smith, A. M., Simpson, J. M., Pitts, M. K., Richters, J., & Shelley, J. M. (2012). Who gets tattoos? Demographic and behavioral correlates of ever being tattooed in a representative sample of men and women. Annals of Epidemiology, 22(1), 51–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofmann, D. A., Morgeson, F. P., & Gerras, S. J. (2003). Climate as a moderator of the relationship between leader-member exchange and content specific citizenship: Safety climate as an exemplar. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(1), 170–178.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hogh, A., Conway, P. M., Clausen, T., Madsen, I. E. H., & Burr, H. (2016). Unwanted sexual attention at work and long-term sickness absence: A follow-up register-based study. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 678.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hulin, C. L., Fitzgerald, L. F., & Drasgow, F. (1997). Organizational influences on sexual harassment. In Stockdale, M. S. (Ed.), Sexual harassment in the workplace: Perspectives, frontiers and response strategies (pp. 127–150). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Ilies, R., Hauserman, N., Schwochau, S., & Stibal, J. (2003). Reported incidence rates of work-related sexual harassment in the United States: Using meta-analysis to explain reported rate disparities. Personnel Psychology, 56(3), 607–631.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jauhari, H., & Singh, S. (2013). Perceived diversity climate and employees’ organizational loyalty. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 32(3), 262–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kearl, H. (2018). The facts behind the #MeToo movement: A national study on sexual harassment and assault. Reston, VA: Stop Street Harassment.Google Scholar
Koziel, S., Kretschmer, W., & Pawlowski, B. (2010). Tattoo and piercing as signals of biological quality. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31(3), 187–192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landis, R. S., Beal, D. J., & Tesluk, P. E. (2000). A comparison of approaches to forming composite measures in structural equation models. Organizational Research Methods, 3(2), 186–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Langman, L. (2008). Punk, porn and resistance: Carnivalization and the body in popular culture. Current Sociology, 56, 657–677.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larsen, G., Patterson, M., & Markham, L. (2014). A deviant art: Tattoo-related stigma in an era of commodification. Psychology & Marketing, 31(8), 670–681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laumann, A. E., & Derick, A. J. (2006). Tattoos and body piercings in the United States: A national data set. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 55(3), 413–421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leskinen, E. A., Cortina, L. M., & Kabat, D. B. (2011). Gender harassment: Broadening our understanding of sex-based harassment at work. Law and Human Behavior, 35(1), 25–39.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: Exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 151–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madera, J. M., Dawson, M., & Neal, J. A. (2013). Hotel managers’ perceived diversity climate and job satisfaction: The mediating effects of role ambiguity and conflict. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, 28–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Major, B., & O'Brien, L. T. (2005). The social psychology of stigma. Annual Review of Psychology, 56, 393–421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matsunaga, M. (2008). Item parceling in structural equation modeling: A primer. Communication Methods and Measures, 2(4), 260–293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McDonald, P. (2012). Workplace sexual harassment 30 years on: A review of the literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(1), 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, B. K., McGlashan Nicols, K., & Eure, J. (2009). Body art in the workplace: Piercing the prejudice? Personnel Review, 38(6), 621–640.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nielsen, M. B., Bjørkelo, B., Notelaers, G., & Einarsen, S. (2010). Sexual harassment: Prevalence, outcomes, and gender differences assessed by three different estimation methods. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 19(3), 252–274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nishii, L. H. (2013). The benefits of climate for inclusion for gender-diverse groups. Academy of Management Journal, 56(6), 1754–1774.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Connell, C. E., & Korabik, K. (2000). Sexual harassment: The relationship of personal vulnerability, work context, perpetrator status, and type of harassment to outcomes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 56(3), 299–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Leary-Kelly, A. M., Bowes-Sperry, L., Bates, C. A., & Lean, E. R. (2009). Sexual harassment at work: A decade (plus) of progress. Journal of Management, 35(3), 503–536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, B. (1990). Organizational climate and culture. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Schouten, C. (2016, September 29). Meet the most ‘tattoo friendly’ companies. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meet-the-most-tattoo-friendly-companies/.Google Scholar
Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive workplaces: A review and model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith-Crowe, K., Burke, M. J., & Landis, R. S. (2003). Organizational climate as a moderator of safety knowledge-safety performance relationships. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24(7), 861–876.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stedham, Y., & Mitchell, M. C. (1998). Sexual harassment in casinos: Effects on employee attitudes and behaviors. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(4), 381–400.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stockdale, M. S., & Nadler, J. T. (2012). Situating sexual harassment in the broader context of interpersonal violence: Research, theory, and policy implications. Social Issues and Policy Review, 6(1), 148–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swami, V., & Furnham, A. (2007). Unattractive, promiscuous and heavy drinkers: Perceptions of women with tattoos. Body Image, 4(4), 343–352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tennent, J. (2018, May 24). Which country has the most people with tattoos? It's not the U.S. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/which-country-most-people-tattoos-943104.Google Scholar
Timming, A. R. (2015). Visible tattoos in the service sector: A new challenge to recruitment and selection. Work, Employment & Society, 29(1), 60–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Timming, A. R., Nickson, D., Re, D., & Perrett, D. (2017). What do you think of my ink? Assessing the effects of body art on employment chances. Human Resource Management, 56(1), 133–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, S. C., & Petty, R. E. (2001). The effects of stereotype activation on behavior: A review of possible mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin, 127(6), 797–826.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Willness, C. R., Steel, P., & Lee, K. (2007). A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of workplace sexual harassment. Personnel Psychology, 60(1), 127–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, F., & Thompson, P. (2001). Sexual harassment as an exercise of power. Gender, Work & Organization, 8(1), 61–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wohlrab, S., Fink, B., Kappeler, P. M., & Brewer, G. (2009). Differences in personality attributions toward tattooed and nontattooed virtual human characters. Journal of Individual Differences, 30(1), 1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wohlrab, S., Fink, B., Pyritz, L. W., Rahlfs, M., & Kappeler, P. M. (2007). Visual attention to plain and ornamented human bodies: An eye-tracking study. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104(Suppl. 3), 1337–1349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar