Biases in evaluating managerial job applicants: The effects of gender and physical attractiveness

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of attractiveness and sex on subsequent evaluations of job applicants for both masculine and feminine managerial jobs. Several (Heilman & Saruwatari, 1979) researchers have suggested that attractive women are undervalued for the typical managerial job. However, few studies have examined the evaluations of attractive male applicants for feminine managerial positions. The first experiment was used to scale 200 photographs on the attractiveness continuum and to determine the type of traits or qualities that are characteristic of males or females. The second experiment applied these traits to create a feminine or masculine managerial job. Results of Experiment 2 indicated that attractive males were preferred to attractive female job candidates. Likewise, males were evaluated more favorably than females for the masculine managerial position. For the feminine managerial job, there was no significant difference between the evaluations of male or female applicants