Professionalism

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Professionalism is a set of standards that an individual is expected to adhere to in a workplace, usually in order to appear serious, uniform, or respectful. What constitutes professionalism is hotly debated and varies from workplace to workplace and between cultures. Professionalism is typically defined as a mix of professional ethics and dress code.

Contents

Definition

Common traits of a "professional" person include: [1] [2] [3]

Changing attitudes

Having tattoos is considered taboo in some workplaces, but this has been changing in recent years. [4] A University of Miami survey found that respondents who had tattoos were more likely to be employed than non-tattooed respondents, although the researchers cautioned that this result was correlative. [5] In New Zealand, some businesses have dropped bans on traditional Māori tattoos. [6] [7]

Hairstyles are also subject to professionalism requirements in many workplaces. In the United States, employers have banned natural hairstyles for African Americans, resulting in a push for CROWN Act laws (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). [8] [9] [10]

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References

  1. "Professionalism". Virginia Tech . Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  2. "Professionalism" (PDF). U.S. Department of Labor .
  3. Jennifer Herrity. "15 Characteristics of Professionals". Indeed.com .
  4. "Tattoos at work: Are they still an issue?". BBC News. 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  5. Beard, Alison (2018-11-01). "A Tattoo Won't Hurt Your Job Prospects". Harvard Business Review. ISSN   0017-8012 . Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  6. "Māori broadcaster becomes first to anchor news with traditional chin tattoo". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  7. "Air New Zealand drops ban on staff tattoos". BBC News. 2019-06-10. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  8. "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  9. "House passes Crown Act banning discrimination against Black hairstyles". NBC News. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  10. "The Official CROWN Act". The Official CROWN Act. Retrieved 2023-07-21.