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Introduction of (HRMG1202) Aesthetic Labour Assessment Assignment
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Aesthetic labour can be termed as the controlling, managing and screening of the worker that is based on the employee's physical appearance. There is a vast difference between the emotional and aesthetic labour in the worker of an organisation. However, aesthetic labour is used in many industries like Zara, Premier Inn, Burberry, and Easy Jet. This concept of Aesthetic labour is an exhausting process for the employee of the company. Employees within the organisation often get drained out with an increased initiative to fit into the industrial sectors which greatly emphasises aesthetic aspects rather than the actual talent. The current study focuses on analysing the consequences associated with the practices of aesthetic labour in the current competitive business ambience
Aesthetic employee labour: Discussion
Aesthetic employee labour management can be witnessed in various industries of the UK like the hospitality, fashion, and Airline industries. As per the view of Warhurst and Nickson (2020), the fashion industry is one such industry in the world that has a huge demand for the perfect and fit physical appearances of an employee as a part of the fitting into the industry as workers. However, it is noticed that the concept of Aesthetic labour is mostly applied to a specific gender that is females. As opined by Boyle and De Keere (2019), there is an added pressure on the women than the males in the industry of fashion based on the looks and appearances of an individual. Thus, there is always constant scrutiny, managing and screening of the employees within the organization.
Aesthetic employee labour and organisational progression
(Source: Boyle and De Keere (2019)
Aesthetic employee labour concentrates on the improvement of the organisational growth without concentrating on the mental condition of the employees working. As suggested by Van den Berg and Arts (2019), another popular industry that has a huge influence on the employees regarding aesthetic employment is the airline industry. Easy Jet is among one such airline industry that is focused on providing better services to its customers through their services and their staff. As per the view of Boyle and De Keere (2019), it is noticed that this airline industry has certain criteria for finding suitable candidates or employees based on their physical appearances and qualification as well. This organisation of the airline industry specifically prioritises physical criteria in regards to the height of the employees. Discrimination practices within the organisation result in increased chaos within the organisation affecting its productivity. Easy Jet demands the minimum height of the employee to be 5’2 to 6’3. Thus, indicating that increased employee discrimination within the organisation due to increased practices of aesthetic labour affects the overall performance of the organisation.
In the context of the study, the hospitality sector plays a pivotal role in the implementation of aesthetic labour. As stated by Cheng-Hua et al. (2019), there is a specific drawback among the employee or workers of Premier Inn, where the worker declared serious issues faced as a consequence of the aesthetic labour. Gender plays a vital role in regards to the aesthetic labour where one stands as the oppressor of the rule and the different parts of the labour industry remain the submissive. As suggested by Brydges and Sjöholm (2019), these issues of the employees of Zara, Premier Inn, Burberry and Easy Jet are regarding selection, recruitment, appearance and image, dress code and uniform, training and skills. Thus, it can be concluded that the idea of aesthetic labour might service the one portion of the industry while disrupting another sector of the same industry that is coexisting together.
Consequence Aesthetics employee labour and employee productivity
Aesthetics employee labour is one of the specific area that has been emphasised by majority of the organisation to ensure that appropriate candidates are selected based on the job recruitment. As opined by Cheng-Hua et al. (2019), it is preferred by the recruiter of the organisation to pivot on the stylish appearances, trendy, outgoing, and attractive employees to ensure a better selection of the employees for the organisational growth. However, there seems to be a negative impact on the employee of the organisations regarding selection of employees based on physical appearance. As per the view of Katircioglu and Akgun Tekin (2021), they are witnessed to be under the clutch of depression, self-destruction and self-hatred. As a part of the consequence, the productivity of the employee within an organization favouring aesthetic labour selection is seen to be decreasing.
Aesthetic labour management and employee perception
(Source: Katircioglu and Akgun, 2021)
This is a bizarre concept on the part of employment, that talents are not the most prioritised part of an individual but it is the appearance that stands as the most important criteria for recruitment. As opined by Katircioglu and Akgun (2021), there is a sense of discrimination among the candidates who are willing to get employment in the same industries like fashion, hospitality, airline and many more. As per the view of As per the view of Van den Berg and Arts (2019), the way to display the importance of the employees can be made through the inclusion of “Adams smith's labour theory of value”. In regards to this theory, there is a clear emphasises of the importance and talent of the employee of an organisation is the most important of all. In contrast to this, there is also a specification on the increased value of the items of an industry or organisation based on the quality or talent of the employee in the organisation. As suggested by Ramjattan (2019), moreover, it is learnt from the theory of Adam Smith that the most importance is required to be given to the employee or the labours of the organisation. Productivity is seen to be on the rise in an organisation when the work culture remains in a positive way but the influence of aesthetic labour has contributed to the decline in work progression of the employees.
It is observed that the employee of different organizations around the UK has a huge after effect of this kind of labour selection in the employee of the organisation. As stated by Brydges and Sjöholm (2019), the further explanation of aesthetic labour can be termed in the form of embodied skills and competencies. As opined by Vonk (2021), it is observed that around 29.5% of the industries in the UK incorporate aesthetic labour and as a consequence, this kind of treatment of the employees has brutal effects and negative influence on the employees. As opined by Warhurst and Nickson (2020), however, it is observed through the reports of a survey that aesthetic labour is a very beneficial part of an aesthetic skill set but it comes with a set of cons as well. However, selection of candidate with right attitude serves to bb beneficial in stimulating organisational progression in the long run. Social skills possessed by an individual falls under the category of aesthetic labour that ensures candidate with appropriate personality are selected for consumer-facing employees. Appropriate behaviour executed by staff members towards its consumers plays a significant role in increased consumer satisfaction, thereby contributing towards organisational productivity.
Analysis
The study concentrates on the glimpse of the aesthetic employee labour as its main idea and its effect on the employee mindset. The main idea of aesthetic employee labour illuminates the physical appearance of an employee. As per the view of Van den Berg and Arts (2019), the reason behind the portrayal of such employee labour is applied to increase the sale of the organisation. As suggested by Tsai (2019), it is accepted by various industrialists that the consumer is more likely to be driven by the looks and appearances of the employees of the company. For instance, the speaking and smart behaving ability of an employee is considered to be a call for attraction to the customers of the company.
This act of judging an employee on the basis of their appearance is an undignified act, especially when it is concentrated on increasing the sale of an organisation. As per the view of Williamson and Chen (2018), it is furthermore analysed that in order to eradicate the concept of discrimination from the industries that utilise the concept of aesthetic labour needs to learn about the negative consequences the employee have due to this procedure. As opined by Vonk (2021), employees are considered to be the vital stakeholders of an organisation and thus neglecting the emotional and mental side of the employees can cause serious harm to the organisation.
Along with this, there is a factor of productivity intertwined with aesthetic employee labour. In this an unhappy, unmotivated employee as a part of aesthetic employee labour losses the focus and concentration of the innovation and productiveness. As per the view of Williamson and Chen (2018), it is realised through the analysis that productivity, innovation and positive work culture are the actual factors that contribute to the formation of a better organisation and generate lump sum amount. Thus, there is an urgent need on part of the companies to focus on the quality of the employee and not the quality of their appearances.
Conclusion
Aesthetic employee labour and productivity are seen to have a clear relation where the kinds of treatment provided to the employees directly had an adverse effect on the employee. It is the looks of a person that has the first preferences rather than the quality of the workers in the industry of enforcing aesthetic labour. The study further sheds light that increased discrimination operating in the workplace of fashion, airline, and hospitality industries act as a major hindrance for organisational growth. However, in context to right attitudes and personality showcased by an employee contribute towards improved organisational performance in the current competitive business.
References
Book
Warhurst, C. and Nickson, D., 2020. Aesthetic labour. U.K: Sage.
Journal
Boyle, B. and De Keere, K., 2019. Aesthetic labour, class and taste: Mobility aspirations of middle-class women working in luxury-retail. The Sociological Review, 67(3), pp.706-722.
Brydges, T. and Sjöholm, J., 2019. Becoming a personal style blogger: Changing configurations and spatialities of aesthetic labour in the fashion industry. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 22(1), pp.119-139.
Cheng-Hua, Y.A.N.G., Chih-Yun, Y.A.N.G. and Chung-Kai, C.H.E.N.G., 2019. Difference in the Perception of Aesthetic Labour of Airlines and High-speed Rail Cabin Occupants between Industry and Academia: Discussion on Cross-Curricular Credit Programs. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 67, p.136.
Katircioglu, E. and Akgun Tekin, O., 2021. EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FEMALE FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES’AESTHETIC LABOUR AND BURNOUT. Tourism and hospitality management, 27(3), pp.503-528.
Ramjattan, V.A., 2019. Raciolinguistics and the aesthetic labourer. Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(5), pp.726-738.
Tsai, C.W., 2019. The Role of Self-Confidence in the Criteria of Aesthetic Labour Recruitment. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management in the Digital Age (IJTHMDA), 3(1), pp.1-22.
Van den Berg, M. and Arts, J., 2019. The aesthetics of work-readiness: Aesthetic judgements and pedagogies for conditional welfare and post-Fordist labour markets. Work, Employment and Society, 33(2), pp.298-313.
Vonk, L., 2021. Peer feedback in aesthetic labour: Forms, logics and responses. Cultural Sociology, 15(2), pp.213-232.
Williamson, D. and Chen, T., 2018. Linguistic labour: International hospitality employees’ use of non-English native language in service encounters. Hospitality Insights, 2(2), pp.7-8.
