AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Female executives who wow co-workers with high heels, short skirts and low-cut blouses risk harming their careers, according to a new study.
However, research published in the December issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly suggests that female receptionists who wear suggestive clothing stir less hostility than their bosses.
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“Although various media directed toward women encourage women to emphasize their sex appeal, our results suggest that women in high status occupations may have to resist this siren call to obtain the respect of their co-workers,” the study’s authors write.
Male and female participants in the study by Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., were shown a video of a suggestively dressed actress playing a businesswoman talking about her background and hobbies.
The tape stirred more hostile responses than a similar video of an actress playing a businesswoman in flat shoes, slacks and a turtleneck. The sexy businesswoman also elicited more hostility than a video of an actress playing a receptionist in similar garb.
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