Business casual dress code should not be for all
An organizational dress code is a symbol that speaks or defines what an organization is. It is part of the organizational cultural norms. The outside world in some cases identifies organizations with its dress code. For example, each division of the U.S army has its own dress code. It is the uniforms that the armed forces wear that speak about them and their roles. Business casual dressing should not be for all organizations.
The clients of the XYZ organization have an existing image of this company. If they were attracted by the professional dress code, then changing it will have a negative impact to the business. For instance, if XYZ is a financial institution, the perception people have of the industry will bar some individuals in coming back. I do not think there is someone who can go to get a loan facility or entrust his saving to a person with torn jeans or body revealing attire. Altering dress code will mean a change of the organization image, and as result it may affect the bottom line.
If one goes for a medical test to a lab and finds the laboratory attendants in jeans and sweatshirts without the white lab coat, the number one conclusion will be the attendant is not professional and trustworthy. The person in need of the lab services may even decide to go to another place. This may result to a ruined image. The official dress code makes people look sharp and competent (Rafaeli & Pratt, 1993). The way one dresses communicates with power and authority. It is what one does and where he or she works that should guide one in choosing what to wear. An accountant will be well dressed in official clothes but if one is in the fashion industry dress code does not matter as such.
Dressing down and institution image
If the dress code is changed to be casual, the employees will relax and become too casual and in the process professionalism will be compromised. In the extreme situations the organization may find itself apologizing to its clients because of a tainted image (Pratt & Rafaeli, 1997). This is what the Chief Operating Officer of the XYZ Company is trying to prevent when he tells Melissa they are a valued corporation and therefore they need to look presentable all the time.
Consider a situation where the clients are composed of the Muslim community. If the employees are given the permission to wear business casual without limitations then the organization and the clientele relationship will be at risk. What the VP of the human resource is trying to implement may be the inception of the collapse of the XYZ in such an environment. Another thing is if the female employee’s wears too revealing, suggestive or seductive clothes, it may end up in sexual scandals at the work place which may be a cost to the image of the concerned institution.
Implications of changing dress code
If the XYZ Company goes ahead to implement changes in the dress code the effect will be emergency of new issues that will majorly be on ethics. This is because there are people who do not have a sense of how far they should go. By allowing this type of dressing organizations should be ready to face ethical issues of indecent dressing. Relaxing mode of dressing may lead to employees wearing for example, torn jeans and seductive clothes that may result to sex scandals in the work place.
The managers are the face of their organization and should always be dressed in a way that reflects their institution image. If the managers will wear casual attires then it should be once per week, in a day designated for the casual wear. It is not a good organizational norm where a manager clads in business casual always. There are stakeholders who judges staffs on what they wear. Some stockholders may find it hard committing their investments to managers dressed casually. The managers need to dress what will enable them gain admiration, trust and respect as they represent their organizations.
Regulating indecent dressing
In a situation where the dress code is relaxed and the employees do not adhere to “dress appropriately” then the management should consider incorporating how to dress in their induction trainings. Involving a coach can also help managers in curbing extreme cases of employee’s laxity. Employees should be informed of the dangers of wearing certain types of attires to the organization. A good training should let them know acceptable and unacceptable business casuals. The environment where the business is located and the duties of an employee should guide the managers in informing their employees on what to wear and what to avoid for the success of their business.
Changing the attire policy
If a relaxed policy will increase productivity of the employees, then stakeholders need to be consulted before the policy is changed. The management should conduct a survey to know whether the stakeholders will change the image they have of the organization (Dellinger, 2002). The stakeholders should be given an opportunity to talk to what extent the lax should be. It should not be made “my dress my choice.” There must be some limitations based on what one does in the organization and where one is situated. For instance, the front office employees should be presentable compared to the back office staffs. The policy should not be altered before several stakeholders perspectives are taken into account. In this case of the XYZ Company changing the existing policy because of the millennial's who are expected to join the company will be an unethical, if the process will not involve other stakeholders. The opinions of existing employees, clients, stockholders and the community around the business should be taken into consideration.
An organizational dress code is a symbol that speaks or defines what an organization is. It is part of the organizational cultural norms. The outside world in some cases identifies organizations with its dress code. For example, each division of the U.S army has its own dress code. It is the uniforms that the armed forces wear that speak about them and their roles. Business casual dressing should not be for all organizations.
The clients of the XYZ organization have an existing image of this company. If they were attracted by the professional dress code, then changing it will have a negative impact to the business. For instance, if XYZ is a financial institution, the perception people have of the industry will bar some individuals in coming back. I do not think there is someone who can go to get a loan facility or entrust his saving to a person with torn jeans or body revealing attire. Altering dress code will mean a change of the organization image, and as result it may affect the bottom line.
If one goes for a medical test to a lab and finds the laboratory attendants in jeans and sweatshirts without the white lab coat, the number one conclusion will be the attendant is not professional and trustworthy. The person in need of the lab services may even decide to go to another place. This may result to a ruined image. The official dress code makes people look sharp and competent (Rafaeli & Pratt, 1993). The way one dresses communicates with power and authority. It is what one does and where he or she works that should guide one in choosing what to wear. An accountant will be well dressed in official clothes but if one is in the fashion industry dress code does not matter as such.
Dressing down and institution image
If the dress code is changed to be casual, the employees will relax and become too casual and in the process professionalism will be compromised. In the extreme situations the organization may find itself apologizing to its clients because of a tainted image (Pratt & Rafaeli, 1997). This is what the Chief Operating Officer of the XYZ Company is trying to prevent when he tells Melissa they are a valued corporation and therefore they need to look presentable all the time.
Consider a situation where the clients are composed of the Muslim community. If the employees are given the permission to wear business casual without limitations then the organization and the clientele relationship will be at risk. What the VP of the human resource is trying to implement may be the inception of the collapse of the XYZ in such an environment. Another thing is if the female employee’s wears too revealing, suggestive or seductive clothes, it may end up in sexual scandals at the work place which may be a cost to the image of the concerned institution.
Implications of changing dress code
If the XYZ Company goes ahead to implement changes in the dress code the effect will be emergency of new issues that will majorly be on ethics. This is because there are people who do not have a sense of how far they should go. By allowing this type of dressing organizations should be ready to face ethical issues of indecent dressing. Relaxing mode of dressing may lead to employees wearing for example, torn jeans and seductive clothes that may result to sex scandals in the work place.
The managers are the face of their organization and should always be dressed in a way that reflects their institution image. If the managers will wear casual attires then it should be once per week, in a day designated for the casual wear. It is not a good organizational norm where a manager clads in business casual always. There are stakeholders who judges staffs on what they wear. Some stockholders may find it hard committing their investments to managers dressed casually. The managers need to dress what will enable them gain admiration, trust and respect as they represent their organizations.
Regulating indecent dressing
In a situation where the dress code is relaxed and the employees do not adhere to “dress appropriately” then the management should consider incorporating how to dress in their induction trainings. Involving a coach can also help managers in curbing extreme cases of employee’s laxity. Employees should be informed of the dangers of wearing certain types of attires to the organization. A good training should let them know acceptable and unacceptable business casuals. The environment where the business is located and the duties of an employee should guide the managers in informing their employees on what to wear and what to avoid for the success of their business.
Changing the attire policy
If a relaxed policy will increase productivity of the employees, then stakeholders need to be consulted before the policy is changed. The management should conduct a survey to know whether the stakeholders will change the image they have of the organization (Dellinger, 2002). The stakeholders should be given an opportunity to talk to what extent the lax should be. It should not be made “my dress my choice.” There must be some limitations based on what one does in the organization and where one is situated. For instance, the front office employees should be presentable compared to the back office staffs. The policy should not be altered before several stakeholders perspectives are taken into account. In this case of the XYZ Company changing the existing policy because of the millennial's who are expected to join the company will be an unethical, if the process will not involve other stakeholders. The opinions of existing employees, clients, stockholders and the community around the business should be taken into consideration.
