Story perspectives

Beauty Premium: The Double-Edged Sword in Business

10/23/2025

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Summary

Story summary

An analysis of over 50 years of research finds a positive effect of attractiveness on customer evaluations, though the beauty premium is inconsistent and can backfire.
The study, led by Goldar Lenjeu Chefor and Ellis Chefor, synthesizes data from 54 articles covering over 41,000 participants.
Attractiveness affects perceptions through implicit judgments, with stronger effects in in-person interactions and Eastern cultures, and attractive employees may face higher expectations that worsen evaluations.

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Story summary

An analysis of over 50 years of research finds a positive effect of attractiveness on customer evaluations, though the beauty premium is inconsistent and can backfire.
The study, led by Goldar Lenjeu Chefor and Ellis Chefor, synthesizes data from 54 articles covering over 41,000 participants.
Attractiveness affects perceptions through implicit judgments, with stronger effects in in-person interactions and Eastern cultures, and attractive employees may face higher expectations that worsen evaluations.