Women at work: perceptions of appearance, power, and negative communication

Abstract

This study is an attempt to understand the professional relationships among women. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between female self-concept and female-female negative communication in the workplace. Specifically the effects of self-esteem, communication behaviors, and perception of power on professional females in the workforce were examined. Females in varying levels of professional positions were asked to respond to a set of statements regarding their own perceived level of self-esteem, power artifacts, and negative communication behaviors. The data were then analyzed to determine if a correlation exists between female age and level of self-esteem, the relation self-esteem has to negative communication behaviors, and to measure the frequency that females report exhibiting, experiencing, and witnessing negative communication behaviors in the workplace. Results of this study lead to several implications regarding the connection between self-esteem, negative communication behaviors, power artifacts, and age. First, these data suggests that addressing women's self-esteem in the workplace can have a positive effect on the workplace environment. Next, by mentoring younger women to be more confident at work, they are less likely to exhibit negative communication behaviors. The third key conclusion connects the effects that power artifacts, such as extravagant vacations, expensive jewelry, a college or graduate degree, and fancy cars have on other women. It is apparent that these artifacts are a point of contention for women.