Height, Gender, and Authority Status at Work: Analyses for a National Sample of Canadian Workers

Abstract

A small number of previous studies using convenience samples from outside Canada, and mostly for males, show positive relationships between physical height and holding a position of authority as a manager or supervisor. The present study employs Multiple Classification Analysis to assess the generality of these patterns to a representative sample of full-time Canadian workers (2,210 males and 1,815 females) using seven alternative measures of authority status. The results for male workers, after controls, generally show significant positive relationships between height and authority status. The controlled analyses for female workers, however, do not. Additional analyses for males show height to be a comparatively strong predictor relative to other social background predictors of authority status. Alternative interpretations of the patterns of findings are discussed.

Tall claims? Sense and nonsense about the importance of height of US presidents

“…Furthermore, until recently all men were required to join the military, and hence the military men were a representative sample of the (healthy) general population. In addition, our results are in line with previous studies documenting a positive association between height and education (Silventoinen et al, 2004), income (Judge & Cable, 2004), social status (Ellis, 1994), and authority status (Gawley et al, 2009) in the general population. Thus, as presidents tend to be well educated, have a high income, a high social status and hold one of the most important positions in the world, it is not surprising that they are taller than the average for the population.…”

“…Thus, height seems to be a characteristic which is valued in political leaders. Also in other domains than politics, a relationship between height and leadership is found, as taller people, particularly men are more likely to emerge as leaders in a group and more often occupy a leadership or managerial position (Gawley et al, 2009;Stogdill, 1948). Table 3 Partial Spearman's correlation coefficients (r s , controlled for election year; significant coefficients in bold) for the relationship between presidential height and several qualities from the SIENA (S), C-SPAN (C) and USPC (U) polls.…”

“…Using a different sample of elections, Higham and Carment (1992) conclude that US presidents elected between 1905 and 1980 were significantly The importance of height to US presidential election success is in line with other research showing that height is related to leadership qualities. Taller people, particularly men, are more likely to emerge as leaders in a group and more often occupy a leadership or managerial position (Gawley, Perks, & Curtis, 2009;Stogdill, 1948). Height is also positively related to measures of professional and educational achievement (Cavelaars et al, 2000;Judge & Cable, 2004;Silventoinen, Krueger, Bouchard, Kaprio, & McGue, 2004;.…”

Reconsidering the accuracy of follower leadership ratings

“…From a sociobiological perspective, height is linked with power and supremacy given that larger individuals ACCURACY OF FOLLOWER LEADERSHIP RATINGS 26 are more likely to win fights (Archer, 1988) and attain social dominance (Ellis, 1994). Height is considered an important leader characteristic (Werner, 1982) and is associated with leader emergence in groups (Gawley, Perks, & Curtis, 2009). As Hensley (1993) observes, "the perception seems to exist that taller individuals are somehow more capable, able or competent" (p. 40).…”

Concordant preferences for actual height and facial cues to height

“…Taller people obtain greater career success in the business world (Judge & Cable, 2004) and are more often promoted to positions of authority (Gawley, Perks, & Curtis, 2009). On average, taller men obtain a higher education (Magnusson, Rasmussen, & Gyllensten, 2006) and taller men and women earn a higher average income than their shorter counterparts (Meyer & Selmer, 1999;Rashad, 2008;Steckel, 1983).…”