Navigating the Boundaries between Technology and Social Change−-Evaluating Acceptance of Visible Tattoos in the Workplace: The French Exception?

Jessica Lichy, Vincent Dutot and Peter Stokes
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Jessica Lichy: IDRAC Business school Lyon - Institut pour le Développement et la Recherche d'Action Commerciale - Université de Lyon
Vincent Dutot: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School
Peter Stokes: Durham University

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Abstract: This article examines how tattoos are challenging and renegotiating social norms in the French workplace−-from hiring to everyday work life−-and the role of social media technology. The workplace reflects the complex interplay of relational and social processes that form societal attitudes. France remains a highly conservative and centralized national context traditionally resistant, due to its republican values, to external markers of identity, such as, for example, religious artifacts. The motivation for the present article is an exploration of how the nuanced interplay between technology, social factors, and organizational attitudes, impact on the gradually changing perceptions and acceptance of visible tattoos in Gallic work contexts. Using theories of socio-technical systems and identity-driven consumption framed by the postmodern concepts of liminality and communitas, we employ a mixed-methods approach to examine tattoo consumption and acceptance across a range of workplaces in France. Findings suggest that social norms, interacting with social media peer pressure, continue to push cultural boundaries, with online consumer behavior frequently shaping offline consumer behavior and employee/employer attitudes. These processes are often informed by the pursuit of ``self'' and reflect several ``tribalistic'' aspects of society. Through analysis, we articulate and contribute six interpretations of how tattooing is partially accepted by recruiters in the workplace in France. We also contribute to the understanding of liminality and communitas as applied to socio-technical spaces. Overall, we reveal insights that can inform researchers, managers, and practitioners in anticipating future changes and preparing for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Keywords: France; Social media; Social technical; Tattoos; Workplace attitude (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Published in International Studies of Management and Organization, 2024, 54 (4), pp.281--305. ⟨10.1080/00208825.2024.2332581⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04894941

DOI: 10.1080/00208825.2024.2332581

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