The effects of physical attractiveness, skin tone and sex in hiring decisions of consumer-based organizations in Manila

• Main Authors: Alano, Dionessa M., Cenon, Patrick David S., Ramos, Jo-Ann Stephanie R.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2004
• Subjects: Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/17886
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study aimed at investigating whether an applicant's sex, skin tone, physical attractiveness and the evaluator's sex influences the hiring decision of consumer-based organizations in Manila. Being an explanatory study, it allowed the researchers to identify which variables influenced the evaluator's rating and thus affecting the hiring decision at the end. This study had twelve respondents consisting of five male respondents and seven female respondents. All the respondents came from five consumer based organizations found in Manila. Data was gathered through the use of a set of questionnaires, one set for evaluating male applicants and another set for evaluating female applicants. A pre test was done for the resumes and the pictures. The pre test results came up with eight resumes with pictures that were later on attached to the resumes. These were presented to the evaluators. The eight resumes consisted of four male applicants and four female applicants. The resumes were presented to the evaluators first for them to view and later on rate. The respondents answered the questionnaires based on the resumes they have viewed earlier. After answering the questionnaires, the results were tabulated and interpreted by the researchers. The results revealed that all impressions formed were positive. Results also show that all applicants were considered hirable. Yet it was discovered that evaluators rating applicants from the opposite sex gave scores that indicated discrimination and overall male evaluators were more discerning in their rating of hiring decisions compared to female evaluators. As for the applicants, despite the absence of difference in impression formation, the ANOVA indicated discrimination among the scores of male applicants and no discrimination among the scores of female applicants. Furthermore, the results showed that despite the presence of more favorable impressions given to physically attractive applicants, the ANOVA indicated that the impressions did not influence the hiring decision. Finally, skin tone as it is a socially desirable trait, did not affect the hiring decision. It can now be said that it did not influence the impressions formed by the evaluators.