Date of Award
Fall 12-2023
Type
Thesis
Major
Communication - Communication Studies Track
Degree Type
Master of Arts
Department
Communication Department
First Advisor
Dr. Benjamin Baker
Second Advisor
Dr. Tesa Leonce
Third Advisor
Dr. Tiffany McBride
Abstract
The present study examines how corporate women use self-presentation in the workplace to communicate professionalism. The study utilizes Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) to consider the self-presentation experiences of corporate women. CTI identifies four identity layers: personal, relational, enacted, and communal, which interact and influence each other as individuals attempt to define themselves. Through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with corporate women, the present study found the following results: women often receive communication regarding self-presentation standards from peers rather than formal policies, self-presentation expectations have become more casual and diverse, women still encounter challenges resulting in the need to (re)negotiate their identity, and corporate women often experience personal-enacted identity gaps as a result of self-presentation expectations. This study contributes to the growing collection of academic literature that seeks to better understand the experiences of corporate women’s gendered marginalization in the workplace.
Recommended Citation
Mack, Taylor E., ""Maybe I Shouldn't Have Worn Such High Heels" Examining Self-Presentation Expectations for Corporate Women Using Communication Theory of Identity" (2023). Theses and Dissertations. 498.
https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/498
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons
