Date of Award

5-2021

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Academic Program

Management BSBA

Department

Management and International Business

First Advisor

Russ Willis, J.D.

Advisor Department

Management and International Business

Abstract

Companies invest millions of dollars into developing workplace attire policies in their organizations to control outcomes (Rafaeli & Pratt, 1993). This research focuses on seeing the impact that workplace attire plays on employees' perceptions of themselves and their organization's culture. Through Qualtrics, an online survey instrument, information was gathered from respondents in various industries and workplaces all over the United States. These employees answered questions about the attire in their workplace, the impact of attire, the organization's policies, characteristics of their organization, the management of the organization, and execution of policies. Results illustrated that most respondents felt that workplace attire affected their workplace culture, made their work feel more important, and made them feel more confident in themselves. The survey results also revealed that casual and business casual attire styles are the predominant styles in today's organizations. In the end, this paper supports research showing that attire plays a significant role in impacting culture and employee's self-perception in the workplace.

This study sought to answer three research questions. Are trends in gender the same as in previous studies? Does age effect how an employee feels about the effects of workplace attire? Is the highest level of education a factor in determining how an employee views attire and the role it plays in the workplace?

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