{"id":338668,"date":"2022-02-18T16:27:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-18T21:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/?p=338668"},"modified":"2023-11-08T19:55:49","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T00:55:49","slug":"harvard-talk-examines-effects-of-high-heels-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2022\/02\/harvard-talk-examines-effects-of-high-heels-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Tracking the effects of high heels at work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t
\"High

In a talk with Harvard Business School\u2019s Max Bazerman, UNC organizational behavior expert Sreedhari Desai shared insights from her research on gender and workplace dress codes.<\/p>

iStock<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWork & Economy\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t

\n\t\tTracking the effects of high heels at work\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t
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\n\t\tChristina Pazzanese\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tResearch promises broader insights on gender inequality, professor says\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\t\t

Stilettos, pumps, kitten heels, or ballerina flats: shoes are both a practical necessity and a semi-serious passion for many people.<\/p>\n

Women know that they\u2019re judged by their clothes, but even their choice of footwear influences how they\u2019re perceived at the office, according to Sreedhari Desai<\/a>, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who shared insights from research on the effects of what women wear at work in a recent discussion with Harvard Business School\u2019s Max Bazerman<\/a>. The event was sponsored by the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Desai explained her interest in a topic some have dismissed as frivolous, arguing that because women\u2019s high heels are so ubiquitous and loaded with powerful cultural meanings, they offer scholars \u201ca keyhole \u2026 through which we can examine the broader issue of how gender inequality is created or re-created and maintained over time in organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those cultural meanings are complicated. For some, heels are useful \u201cpower dressing\u201d tools for climbing the corporate ladder that boost confidence and convey authority. For others, they signify conventional notions of femininity that encourage sexual objectification and diminish career prospects. In any case, high heels are still widely seen as the most professional choice for women in many lines of work, from luxury retail sales and the airlines to investment banks and courtrooms, Desai said. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel, companies can lawfully fire women for misconduct if they refuse to wear heels. In the U.S., employers can institute dress codes provided they are not overly burdensome on one gender group.<\/p>\n\r\n

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Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday’s talk. <\/p>

Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t
\"Sreedhari<\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/figure>\r\n\n

To see whether heels help or hinder women\u2019s careers, Desai and her team conducted a series of studies to understand how people evaluated women across a number of dimensions and in a variety of work scenarios \u2014 leading a class, giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, taking part in a negotiation \u2014 with the only variable being whether the woman was wearing high heels or flats.<\/p>\n

Time after time, women wearing flats were deemed more capable, more prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s. In the case of a \u201cmasculine\u201d job such as tech manager, the bias against high-heeled women held even when the other candidate\u2019s shoes were not visible to observers.<\/p>\n

There are variables that merit further study, including racial, national, and cultural differences, to see how they influence perceptions and whether observers rate men who wear heels or lifts in their shoes similarly, Desai said. \u201cThe important thing here is that across multiple sets of scenarios, we\u2019re still seeing an effect,\u201d she said, cautioning: \u201cSo, be cognizant that even small things like this can influence other people\u2019s perceptions of you as a professional and an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Research promises broader insights on gender inequality, according to UNC professor of organizational behavior.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131912115,"featured_media":338936,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gz_ga_pageviews":153,"gz_ga_lastupdated":"2023-07-08 03:21","document_color_palette":"crimson","author":"Christina Pazzanese","affiliation":"Harvard Staff 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class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">iStock<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","innerContent":["<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"High heels.\" height=\"1668\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20220218_dresscode.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">In a talk with Harvard Business School\u2019s Max Bazerman, UNC organizational behavior expert Sreedhari Desai shared insights from her research on gender and workplace dress codes.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">iStock<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n"],"rendered":"<header\n\tclass=\"wp-block-harvard-gazette-article-header alignfull article-header is-style-full-width-text-below centered-image\"\n\tstyle=\" \"\n>\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img alt=\"High heels.\" height=\"1668\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/20220218_dresscode.jpg\" width=\"2500\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">In a talk with Harvard Business School\u2019s Max Bazerman, UNC organizational behavior expert Sreedhari Desai shared insights from her research on gender and workplace dress codes.<\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">iStock<\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-header__content\">\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"article-header__category\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/business-economy\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\tWork & Economy\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\n\t\t<h1 class=\"article-header__title wp-block-heading \">\n\t\tTracking the effects of high heels at work\t<\/h1>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<div class=\"article-header__meta\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\">\n\t\t\t<address class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"author wp-block-post-author__name\">\n\t\tChristina Pazzanese\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-post-author__byline\">\n\t\t\tHarvard Staff Writer\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/address>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<time class=\"article-header__date\" datetime=\"2022-02-18\">\n\t\t\tFebruary 18, 2022\t\t<\/time>\n\n\t\t<span class=\"article-header__reading-time\">\n\t\t\t3 min read\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-header__subheading wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\tResearch promises broader insights on gender inequality, professor says\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n<\/header>\n"},"2":{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"templateLock":false,"metadata":{"name":"Article content"},"align":"wide","layout":{"type":"constrained","justifyContent":"center"},"tagName":"div","lock":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t<p>Stilettos, pumps, kitten heels, or ballerina flats: shoes are both a practical necessity and a semi-serious passion for many people.<\/p>\n<p>Women know that they\u2019re judged by their clothes, but even their choice of footwear influences how they\u2019re perceived at the office, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu\/faculty\/directory\/sreedhari-desai\/\">Sreedhari Desai<\/a>, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who shared insights from research on the effects of what women wear at work in a recent discussion with Harvard Business School\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/faculty\/Pages\/profile.aspx?facId=6420\">Max Bazerman<\/a>. The event was sponsored by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pon.harvard.edu\/\">Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Desai explained her interest in a topic some have dismissed as frivolous, arguing that because women\u2019s high heels are so ubiquitous and loaded with powerful cultural meanings, they offer scholars \u201ca keyhole \u2026 through which we can examine the broader issue of how gender inequality is created or re-created and maintained over time in organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those cultural meanings are complicated. For some, heels are useful \u201cpower dressing\u201d tools for climbing the corporate ladder that boost confidence and convey authority. For others, they signify conventional notions of femininity that encourage sexual objectification and diminish career prospects. In any case, high heels are still widely seen as the most professional choice for women in many lines of work, from luxury retail sales and the airlines to investment banks and courtrooms, Desai said. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel, companies can lawfully fire women for misconduct if they refuse to wear heels. In the U.S., employers can institute dress codes provided they are not overly burdensome on one gender group.<\/p>\n","innerContent":["\n\t\t<p>Stilettos, pumps, kitten heels, or ballerina flats: shoes are both a practical necessity and a semi-serious passion for many people.<\/p>\n<p>Women know that they\u2019re judged by their clothes, but even their choice of footwear influences how they\u2019re perceived at the office, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu\/faculty\/directory\/sreedhari-desai\/\">Sreedhari Desai<\/a>, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who shared insights from research on the effects of what women wear at work in a recent discussion with Harvard Business School\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/faculty\/Pages\/profile.aspx?facId=6420\">Max Bazerman<\/a>. The event was sponsored by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pon.harvard.edu\/\">Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Desai explained her interest in a topic some have dismissed as frivolous, arguing that because women\u2019s high heels are so ubiquitous and loaded with powerful cultural meanings, they offer scholars \u201ca keyhole \u2026 through which we can examine the broader issue of how gender inequality is created or re-created and maintained over time in organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those cultural meanings are complicated. For some, heels are useful \u201cpower dressing\u201d tools for climbing the corporate ladder that boost confidence and convey authority. For others, they signify conventional notions of femininity that encourage sexual objectification and diminish career prospects. In any case, high heels are still widely seen as the most professional choice for women in many lines of work, from luxury retail sales and the airlines to investment banks and courtrooms, Desai said. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel, companies can lawfully fire women for misconduct if they refuse to wear heels. In the U.S., employers can institute dress codes provided they are not overly burdensome on one gender group.<\/p>\n"],"rendered":"\n\t\t<p>Stilettos, pumps, kitten heels, or ballerina flats: shoes are both a practical necessity and a semi-serious passion for many people.<\/p>\n<p>Women know that they\u2019re judged by their clothes, but even their choice of footwear influences how they\u2019re perceived at the office, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu\/faculty\/directory\/sreedhari-desai\/\">Sreedhari Desai<\/a>, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who shared insights from research on the effects of what women wear at work in a recent discussion with Harvard Business School\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/faculty\/Pages\/profile.aspx?facId=6420\">Max Bazerman<\/a>. The event was sponsored by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pon.harvard.edu\/\">Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Desai explained her interest in a topic some have dismissed as frivolous, arguing that because women\u2019s high heels are so ubiquitous and loaded with powerful cultural meanings, they offer scholars \u201ca keyhole \u2026 through which we can examine the broader issue of how gender inequality is created or re-created and maintained over time in organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those cultural meanings are complicated. For some, heels are useful \u201cpower dressing\u201d tools for climbing the corporate ladder that boost confidence and convey authority. For others, they signify conventional notions of femininity that encourage sexual objectification and diminish career prospects. In any case, high heels are still widely seen as the most professional choice for women in many lines of work, from luxury retail sales and the airlines to investment banks and courtrooms, Desai said. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel, companies can lawfully fire women for misconduct if they refuse to wear heels. In the U.S., employers can institute dress codes provided they are not overly burdensome on one gender group.<\/p>\n"},{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"tagName":"figure","align":"wide","className":"wp-block-table","templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/columns","attrs":{"verticalAlignment":"top","isStackedOnMobile":true,"templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/column","attrs":{"verticalAlignment":"top","width":"","templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/group","attrs":{"tagName":"figcaption","className":"wp-element-caption","templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"align":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"ariaLabel":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"className":"wp-element-caption--caption","align":"","content":"Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. ","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p>","innerContent":["<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p>"],"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p>"},{"blockName":"core\/paragraph","attrs":{"className":"wp-element-caption--credit","align":"","content":"Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer","dropCap":false,"placeholder":"","direction":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p>","innerContent":["<p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p>"],"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p>"}],"innerHTML":"<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption\"><\/figcaption>","innerContent":["<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption\">","<\/figcaption>"],"rendered":"<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>"}],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top\">\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t","innerContent":["\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top\">\n\t\t\t","\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t"],"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t"},{"blockName":"core\/column","attrs":{"verticalAlignment":"top","width":"","templateLock":null,"lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"backgroundColor":"","textColor":"","gradient":"","fontSize":"","fontFamily":"","borderColor":"","layout":[],"anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[{"blockName":"core\/image","attrs":{"sizeSlug":"full","align":"none","id":338932,"blob":"","url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg","alt":"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.","caption":null,"lightbox":[],"title":"","href":"","rel":"","linkClass":"","width":"","height":"","aspectRatio":"","scale":"","linkDestination":"","linkTarget":"","lock":[],"metadata":[],"className":"","style":[],"borderColor":"","anchor":""},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t","innerContent":["\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t"],"rendered":"\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t"}],"innerHTML":"\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t","innerContent":["\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top\">\n\t\t\t\t","\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t"],"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top media-cluster\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top media-cluster\">\n\t\t\t\t","\n\t\t\t\t\t","\n\t\t<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top media-cluster is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n"}],"innerHTML":"<figure class=\"wp-block-group wp-block-table alignwide\">\n<\/figure>","innerContent":["<figure class=\"wp-block-group wp-block-table alignwide\">","\n<\/figure>"],"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-group wp-block-table alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top media-cluster is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/figure>"},{"blockName":"core\/freeform","attrs":{"content":"","lock":[],"metadata":[]},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"\n<p>To see whether heels help or hinder women\u2019s careers, Desai and her team conducted a series of studies to understand how people evaluated women across a number of dimensions and in a variety of work scenarios \u2014 leading a class, giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, taking part in a negotiation \u2014 with the only variable being whether the woman was wearing high heels or flats.<\/p>\n<p>Time after time, women wearing flats were deemed more capable, more prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s. In the case of a \u201cmasculine\u201d job such as tech manager, the bias against high-heeled women held even when the other candidate\u2019s shoes were not visible to observers.<\/p>\n<p>There are variables that merit further study, including racial, national, and cultural differences, to see how they influence perceptions and whether observers rate men who wear heels or lifts in their shoes similarly, Desai said. \u201cThe important thing here is that across multiple sets of scenarios, we\u2019re still seeing an effect,\u201d she said, cautioning: \u201cSo, be cognizant that even small things like this can influence other people\u2019s perceptions of you as a professional and an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n","innerContent":["\n<p>To see whether heels help or hinder women\u2019s careers, Desai and her team conducted a series of studies to understand how people evaluated women across a number of dimensions and in a variety of work scenarios \u2014 leading a class, giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, taking part in a negotiation \u2014 with the only variable being whether the woman was wearing high heels or flats.<\/p>\n<p>Time after time, women wearing flats were deemed more capable, more prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s. In the case of a \u201cmasculine\u201d job such as tech manager, the bias against high-heeled women held even when the other candidate\u2019s shoes were not visible to observers.<\/p>\n<p>There are variables that merit further study, including racial, national, and cultural differences, to see how they influence perceptions and whether observers rate men who wear heels or lifts in their shoes similarly, Desai said. \u201cThe important thing here is that across multiple sets of scenarios, we\u2019re still seeing an effect,\u201d she said, cautioning: \u201cSo, be cognizant that even small things like this can influence other people\u2019s perceptions of you as a professional and an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n"],"rendered":"\n<p>To see whether heels help or hinder women\u2019s careers, Desai and her team conducted a series of studies to understand how people evaluated women across a number of dimensions and in a variety of work scenarios \u2014 leading a class, giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, taking part in a negotiation \u2014 with the only variable being whether the woman was wearing high heels or flats.<\/p>\n<p>Time after time, women wearing flats were deemed more capable, more prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s. In the case of a \u201cmasculine\u201d job such as tech manager, the bias against high-heeled women held even when the other candidate\u2019s shoes were not visible to observers.<\/p>\n<p>There are variables that merit further study, including racial, national, and cultural differences, to see how they influence perceptions and whether observers rate men who wear heels or lifts in their shoes similarly, Desai said. \u201cThe important thing here is that across multiple sets of scenarios, we\u2019re still seeing an effect,\u201d she said, cautioning: \u201cSo, be cognizant that even small things like this can influence other people\u2019s perceptions of you as a professional and an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n"}],"innerHTML":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n\r\n\r\n\n\n<\/div>\n","innerContent":["\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide\">\n\n","\r\n","\r\n","\n\n<\/div>\n"],"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-center is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n\n\n\t\t<p>Stilettos, pumps, kitten heels, or ballerina flats: shoes are both a practical necessity and a semi-serious passion for many people.<\/p>\n<p>Women know that they\u2019re judged by their clothes, but even their choice of footwear influences how they\u2019re perceived at the office, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu\/faculty\/directory\/sreedhari-desai\/\">Sreedhari Desai<\/a>, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of North Carolina\u2019s Kenan-Flagler Business School, who shared insights from research on the effects of what women wear at work in a recent discussion with Harvard Business School\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/faculty\/Pages\/profile.aspx?facId=6420\">Max Bazerman<\/a>. The event was sponsored by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pon.harvard.edu\/\">Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Desai explained her interest in a topic some have dismissed as frivolous, arguing that because women\u2019s high heels are so ubiquitous and loaded with powerful cultural meanings, they offer scholars \u201ca keyhole \u2026 through which we can examine the broader issue of how gender inequality is created or re-created and maintained over time in organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those cultural meanings are complicated. For some, heels are useful \u201cpower dressing\u201d tools for climbing the corporate ladder that boost confidence and convey authority. For others, they signify conventional notions of femininity that encourage sexual objectification and diminish career prospects. In any case, high heels are still widely seen as the most professional choice for women in many lines of work, from luxury retail sales and the airlines to investment banks and courtrooms, Desai said. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel, companies can lawfully fire women for misconduct if they refuse to wear heels. In the U.S., employers can institute dress codes provided they are not overly burdensome on one gender group.<\/p>\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-group wp-block-table alignwide is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top media-cluster is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"wp-block-group wp-element-caption is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><p class=\"wp-element-caption--caption\">Desai and Bazerman during Wednesday's talk. <\/p><p class=\"wp-element-caption--credit\">Rose Lincoln\/Harvard Staff Photographer<\/p><\/figcaption>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/021622_High_Heels_1626.jpg\" alt=\"Sreedhari Desai and Max Bazerman.\" class=\"wp-image-338932\"><\/figure>\n\t\n\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/figure>\r\n\n<p>To see whether heels help or hinder women\u2019s careers, Desai and her team conducted a series of studies to understand how people evaluated women across a number of dimensions and in a variety of work scenarios \u2014 leading a class, giving a presentation, interviewing for a job, taking part in a negotiation \u2014 with the only variable being whether the woman was wearing high heels or flats.<\/p>\n<p>Time after time, women wearing flats were deemed more capable, more prepared, and earned higher evaluations from both men and women in their 20s through their 50s. In the case of a \u201cmasculine\u201d job such as tech manager, the bias against high-heeled women held even when the other candidate\u2019s shoes were not visible to observers.<\/p>\n<p>There are variables that merit further study, including racial, national, and cultural differences, to see how they influence perceptions and whether observers rate men who wear heels or lifts in their shoes similarly, Desai said. \u201cThe important thing here is that across multiple sets of scenarios, we\u2019re still seeing an effect,\u201d she said, cautioning: \u201cSo, be cognizant that even small things like this can influence other people\u2019s perceptions of you as a professional and an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n"}},"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":158549,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2014\/07\/a-new-sexual-assault-policy\/","url_meta":{"origin":338668,"position":0},"title":"A new sexual assault policy","author":"harvardgazette","date":"July 2, 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right move","author":"harvardgazette","date":"April 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) senior lecturer Hannah Riley Bowles discusses her research on the role gender plays in negotiations and offers advice for women trying to negotiate higher pay.","rel":"","context":"In "Nation & World"","block_context":{"text":"Nation & World","link":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/section\/nation-world\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/hannahrileybowles_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/hannahrileybowles_605.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/hannahrileybowles_605.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":160115,"url":"https:\/\/news.harvard.edu\/gazette\/story\/2014\/08\/fas-seeks-community-input\/","url_meta":{"origin":338668,"position":3},"title":"FAS seeks community 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