Negative Stereotypes Of Plastic Surgery

Before you do this assignment, review the documents in Module 2 under "Case Study Instructions." With the following questions in mind, develop a case analysis. ***Additional Note: Please make sure to specifically answer each question below.
1. Would you go under the knife to enhance your career opportunities? Why or why not? 2. What negative stereotypes are fueling the use of cosmetic surgery to change one's appearance? 3. To what extent does the Pygmalion effect, Galatea effect, and Golem effect play a role in this case? Explain 4. Based on this case and what you learned in this chapter, do the skills that come with age and experience count for less than appearance in today's organization? Discuss your rationale.

How Plastic Surgery Can
Boost Your Career
More Americans go under the knife to move up the corporate ladder—and some say it makes sense
By Liz Wolgemuth
Posted May 12, 2008
The media, and its consumers, generally keep conversation about plastic surgery and careers pegged on a couple of figures: the aging Hollywood idol and the would-be Hollywood idol. Cosmetic surgery is de rigueur in the movie and TV business—pretty understandable given how much looks matter on-screen and in career trajectories.

(Lena Clara/fStop/Getty Images)
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But there's increasing research that says looks matter in jobs beyond the silver screen—that beautiful people make more money and have more opportunities for advancement. So it's no real surprise that plastic surgery is being deployed as an instrument of career advancement by men and women in office suites far from the glare of the klieg lights.
"In the corporate world, there's a lot of emphasis on image, and image goes with self-confidence," says Antonio Armani, a Beverly Hills, Calif., cosmetic surgeon who specializes in hair transplants. "I think a lot of people do invest money in improving their looks because they feel this is one way they can go up the corporate ladder."
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery reports that, among last year's most prominent trends, about two thirds of its members reported seeing men and women who requested cosmetic surgery because they wanted to remain competitive in the workplace.
In his nine years of practice, Armani says there has been a growing desire among corporate men—often working in finance—to look younger. But as a career investment, a youthful hairline doesn't come cheap. Armani says a typical transplant procedure costs from $15,000 to $35,000. While his patients are often wealthy, many younger men are financing the cost. Recently, a marine coming off active duty took out a $25,000 loan for his surgery, Armani says, because he "wants to look good" as he heads into law school. "When we look at people, we are naturally attracted to people who are more attractive," Armani says. There's research to back up that claim. Gordon Patzer, author of Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined and a longtime researcher on the impact of physical attractiveness, can run through a laundry list of study results that point to the advantages of being good looking. Cuter newborns in a nursery are touched, held, and talked to more than less attractive babies. Elementary school teachers unknowingly tend to hold higher expectations for better-looking children. Parents may be less protective of less-attractive children.
Then, when people reach working age, good-looking college graduates are more likely to get hired. Employees themselves tend to be willing to do more for better-looking bosses. Attractive supervisors are perceived as more credible and more persuasive.
So what does this mean for those of us who want to get ahead but don't look like Brad or Angelina? Well, higher education can improve physical appearance in others' eyes. And Patzer recommends working out, eating well, practicing good hygiene, dressing nicely, and—although it may be cringe-inducing—correcting flaws with plastic surgery.
"It's a good investment for the workplace," he says, noting that investments that improve your physical appearance and make you appear younger can ultimately delay the decline of your workplace effectiveness as you age.
Certain cosmetic procedures can offer the most bang for your buck. Men have been turning to eyelid surgery, which was the fourth-most-common surgical cosmetic procedure last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Also, teeth whitening is a great investment, because teeth turn gray as we age, Patzer says.
Patzer does not particularly enjoy the results of his research and often says "beauty can be ugly" because society puts entirely too much emphasis on physical attractiveness and the widespread bias in favor of good looks is so discriminatory. But he does not believe there will be a change in our preference for physically attractive people an time soon. Attitudes, social norms, and technological advances are going to make cosmetic surgery increasingly common, Patzer says. He predicts it will become a tool in career advancement—just like clothes or education. Related News
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Penelope Trunk, a careers blogger and author of Brazen Careerist, predicted in a blog entry earlier this year that plastic surgery will become a tool "for the go-getters and career-minded" and will even be a routine procedure for college grads.
Executive coach Judy Jernudd helps her corporate clients improve their body language, appearance, and clothing, often using a video camera to show a slumped posture or unenthusiastic delivery. "Almost all of us, if we would admit it, and it may not be conscious, we do make pretty quick impressions of people," she says, noting that good-looking people tend to have a universal appeal that attracts everyone. Jernudd believes there's a lot that people can do to improve their looks.
"I'm not encouraging everyone to go out and get cosmetic surgery," Jernudd says. "I think there are people that can go overboard on cosmetic surgery. But I do think that you can see people—if it's done correctly—where they can look 10 years younger."
History is, of course, full of very successful individuals who weren't much to look at: Think Napoleon or Albert Einstein. But these are the exceptions, and they don't disprove the rule, Patzer says.
There is, of course, one other option. People could all rise up, armed with the awareness of their discriminatory tendencies, and make a conscious effort to start treating everyone equally. Even newborns.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/careers/2008/05/12/why-people-are-investing-in-better-looks.html

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Written by drbarryeppley on May-20-08 8:56am From: exploreplasticsurgery.com I got a call yesterday from a news agency from the East Coast who was doing a story on patients who undergo plastic surgery procedures for career concerns/advancement. Over the years, I have had a few patients who openly stated so although I suspect many more of my patients have had surgery for that reason without so stating. (and I am not talking about here a breast augmentation for a dancer!)As one approaches middle-age, the usual signs of aging (often perceived as tiredness even though the patient isn’t) are visible around the eyes, jowl, and sometimes the neck areas. The visibility of the face makes it a more marketable item than the body which can be ‘dressed up’ and camouflaged…the face can not. Makeup can only cover so many flaws. I have heard patients say repeatedly that they get tired of people telling them that…they look tired. This is where the eyes and brow areas play such an important role in societal perception. While Botox is very effective at temporarily improving that angry scowl or those lines between the brow taht come from squinting and concentrating, only real surgery can tighten up the eyelids, lift the brow, or get rid of that sagging jowl. These seem the be the areas that patients focus on when they want to look better and be more competitive in their career and marketplace.How shallow you say? Perhaps, but the reality is…everything else being equal…tall men have more opportunities than shorter men….more attractive people are hired more frequently than those judged as less attractive…and looking refreshed and energetic can give one an edge in any sales situation. (which is just about every situation is life) On-site performance may be the foundation of one’s job, but one’s appearance is certainly complementary to it. If that is not true, how do I account for the large number of younger women in pharmaceutical sales jobs? Plastic surgery is fundamentally self-image surgery, it is all about making you feel better about yourself. As the old saying goes…you will not succeed beyond how you see yourself.Dr. Barry Eppleyhttp://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.comhttp://www.ologyspa.comClarian North Medical Center, Carmel, IndianaClarian West Medical Center, Avon, IndianaIndianapolis http://www.zimbio.com/Plastic+Surgery/articles/761/Plastic+Surgery+Career+Advancement Cosmetic Surgery for Career Advancement
Attractiveness at WorkBy Melanie Joy Douglas, Monster.ca

"There’s no doubt that attractive people tend to do better in life than less-attractive people - nobody ever said evolution was supposed to be fair." - Dr Alan Slater So if fifty is the new forty, sixty the new fifty – how does age relate to career, and most importantly, career advancement?
What’s the connection? Apparently, there’s a big connection. In a recent Monster Canada poll of 4,397 people, 47% of respondents said that yes, definitely – they believed having plastic surgery or cosmetic dental work would help advance their career. A lesser 38% disagreed, while 14% were unsure. A similar poll ran in the United States by Monster.com in which 53% of people agreed that having cosmetic surgery or dentistry would advance their careers, while 31% disagreed, and again, 14% reported they were unsure. It’s no surprise that people connect attractiveness with career success. After all, career counselors are the first to admit that image has a lot to do with whether or not you might be hired. Colleen Clarke, Monster’s resident career expert, says that counseling clients about their image is very much a part of preparing for an interview. “I have suggested to some men that they trim their mustaches or shave off their beards and for some women to dye their hair so their roots aren’t showing. I talk about what kinds of glasses to wear because glasses go out of style just like the length of a skirt does. Same with men’s ties…” Dr. Dmytryshyn agrees. “When I’m hiring, usually I can make
my mind up in the first fifteen or thirty seconds whether I really like this person and want to continue the interview or not. Part of it has to do with how they look… it is the way it is. I mean, this is the way it is in life. It’s probably not the correct thing to do, but it’s what’s done.” Here are just two small samples of how plastic surgery Web sites are targeting career advancement through cosmetic surgery:
From Plastic Surgery Portal: "Is Plastic Surgery Right for Your Career? Unfortunately, because we live in a youth and beauty fixated culture, very often it's survival of the 'prettiest'. Whether it's a new promotion, new job, larger raise, or improved overall career path, studies have shown that the better looking you are, the more apt you are to receive those things.”
Here’s one targeting men from Cosmetic Surgery for Men: “Being qualified isn't enough anymore. You have to look qualified, too.“In today's extremely competitive business world, men wear their resumes on their face. Worn down, tired looking executives who appear 'over the hill' may get passed over for promotions and raises for younger-looking, healthier colleagues. “Of course, cosmetic surgery is no guarantee that you'll get a raise, a big promotion, or that corner office you've been working for. But it can help. It can help keep you looking young and physically fit. It can help you let the boss know you're still ready for any challenge and up for any opportunity. It can even boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. The rest is up to you.”
Just how big a role does “attractiveness” play in your career and life? Scientific research not only reinforces the findings of our Monster polls, but has some fairly shocking results. Numerous “attractiveness at work” studies have shown that:
A person with below-average looks tended to earn 9% less per hour, and an above-average looking person tended to earn 5% more per hour than an average-looking person, after controlling for other variables, such as education and experience. This ‘plainness penalty’ and ‘beauty premium’ exist across all occupations. (Study by Daniel Hamermesh & Jeff Biddle)
Unattractive men earned 15% less than those deemed attractive, while ‘plain’ women earned 11% less than their more attractive counterparts. What’s more, the possibility of a male attorney attaining early partnership directly correlates with how handsome he is. (“Beauty, Productivity and Discrimination: Lawyers’, Looks and Lucre.” Study by Daniel Hamermesh & Jeff Biddle)
Tall people earn considerably more money throughout their careers than their shorter coworkers.
Each inch adds roughly an extra $1,000 a year in pay, after controlling for education and experience. In other words, if you’re six feet tall, you probably earn about $6,000 more than your equally qualified 5-foot-6-inch colleague down the hall. (Study by Timothy Judge & Daniel Cable)
Overweight women are more likely to be unemployed. Employed women, who are considered obsess (according to their Body Mass Index) earn 17% less than women within their recommended BMI range. (“The Economic Reality of the Beauty Myth.” Study by Susan Averett and Sanders
Korenman)
A lot of us have seen one of many network ‘attractiveness stings’ in which a hidden camera captures just how much looks matter in day-to-day life. In one such particular situation, Dateline staged two models and two regular network employees in situations requiring the help of others. One scenario required each of them to drop a folder filled with papers on a busy New York City street. Not surprisingly, when the models dropped their files, they were immediately flooded with help. When the regular-looking female employee did the same, at least a dozen people passed by before, finally, one woman offered to help. Interestingly, when the male regular-looking employee dropped his files, the sidewalk cleared and people just walked on by, none offering to help. While the Dateline expose was certainly not scientific, experts agree that more controlled studies show exactly the same phenomenon: people go out of their way to help attractive people of the same and opposite sex because they want to be liked and accepted by these good looking people. "Good-looking men and women are generally judged to be more talented, kind, honest, and intelligent than their less attractive counterparts," said expert Dr. Gordon Patzer, commenting on Dateline’s findings. The Attractiveness Effect Remarkably, this behaviour is innate – something with which we are all born. Studies of babies show that they will look more intently and for longer periods of time at more attractive faces. Dr. Alan Slater, a psychologist at Exeter University, conducted a study of 100 babies up to the age of three days old. His team of researchers showed photos of white female models and non-models to babies for up to five minutes. They found that babies would spend 60-65% of the time looking at the attractive face. "It used to be thought that new-born babies came into the world as a totally blank sheet of paper on which experience will then write," he said in a report published by FuturePundit.com. "But what we are finding more and more is that babies are born with a number of in-built mechanisms that help them to organise and make sense of their newly-perceived world - and one of these is that they display an attractiveness effect." "Attractiveness is not simply in the eye of the beholder,” he continued. “It is in the brain of the newborn infant right from the moment of birth and possibly prior to birth.” Dr. Gordon Patzer, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Roosevelt University, has spent thirty years studying and writing about physical attractiveness. In an interview with The Scotsman, he explained that “in a nursery, before new-born babies are released from a hospital, those babies higher in physical attractiveness - at this level defined as more cute - are touched more, held more and spoken to more.” This trend continues in school, and it’s even apparent in teachers’ attitudes towards the more attractive children. "When they interact with children of higher physical attractiveness,” he continued, “they ask more questions, prompt them for more answers. We expect those children to do better and, consequently, they fulfill our expectations and they actually do do better." From the nursery to school to even the doctor’s office? “We see in medical interactions, patients who go to physicians, and those of higher physical attractiveness, the physicians will spend more time with that person and will also spend more time answering individual questions that that person asked,” said Dr. Patzer. http://content.monster.ca/12405_en-CA_p2.asp Are country is all about the exterior beauty and cares more about how they look now more than ever. The entire Hollywood image has spread throughout the entire country even to small towns with the help of tabloids and paparazzi. With shows such as Nip Tuck and Dr. 90210 the idea of plastic surgery has been even more attracting to the average American in the last five years. Before this case study I really have never thought of plastic surgery for myself. I always thought plastic surgery was for either woman who wanted breast enhancement or overweight people getting liposuction and since I am not a female nor am I overweight plastic surgery never crossed my mind. However after reading this case as well as my internet research on this topic it does seem to make sense once I were to get into my 50’s. Everyone wants to stay looking young and with the help of modern medicine and extra money that dream of staying young is now a reality. The only way that I would consider doing any cosmetic plastic surgery to myself would be if the surgery would significantly help my career. Another thing I would consider would be if I could afford it, plastic surgery is not cheap as the book stated a facelift can cost as much as $25,000. So then I would have to decide weather or not the money for the surgery would pay for itself in the long run or if it would be more for personal satisfaction. Before the sign of age meant wisdom as well as lots of knowledge from years of experience, however in today’s society sometimes the sign of age can mean the decline in performance and higher risks to have an older person have such large responsibilities. Many workers today in the business world worry that looking older could in fact cost them their job. Another stereotype for older workers is that they are less motivated and less productive that younger co-workers. If a manager believes that these stereotypes are true then they would be less likely to promote an older worker over a younger worker because according to the stereotype the younger worker would be more productive and more motivated to get the job done quicker and better. One of the key concepts of the text from Chapter Seven was the Golem Effect, Galatea Effect, and the Pygmalion Effect. The one that stands out most in regards to older people getting plastic surgery to improve chances of promotion is the Golem effect. The Golem effect is the loss in performance due to low leader expectations, taken from the text on page 222. The reason why this is so important with the use of plastic surgery is because as workers tend to get older stereotypically they are less motivated and less productive. If a manager feels that the older worker will not perform as well as some of his/her younger employees than they will have lower expectations from the older worker. It is basically a larger circle because after the older worker knows they do not need to perform to their fullest potential then they won’t. However if a manger does not treat the older employee any differently than the younger ones then the Golem effect will not be present. The other that is studied in Chapter Seven is the Galatea effect. The Galatea effect would benefit those employers who have had employees undergo plastic surgery because according to the Galatea effect if a person has high self-expectations than that will lead to high performance. Obviously if a person is willingly to invest all that money to look better than they will have greater outlook on life since they think they look younger which will correlate to better job performance. From the information that I was able to gather from this case study, Chapter Seven of the text, as well as other outside sources found on the internet I have concluded that yes age does count for less in today’s society and that appearance counts for more and more in today’s society. It no wonder with Hollywoods effect on the average working person that you should always try to stay looking as young as possible. A poll from Monster.com showed that 47% of Canadians feel that having plastic surgery would definetly help there career advancement. Also on average an unattractive male earns 7-11% less than a male deemed attractive. With figures like that its no wonder that people are turning to the knife to increase there pay and stay forever young.