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Study finds spirit of Santa matters more than the beard and belly
Oregon State University researchers found diverse Santas use identity-based strategies to succeed, challenging traditional role expectations in over 50 interviews, published in a management journal.
- Oregon State University researchers found a strong sense of calling helps diverse Kris Kringle workers succeed, based on over 50 interviews and 800 survey responses published in the Academy of Management Journal.
- Social expectations and gatekeepers set exclusionary norms as prototypical Santas tend to be older white men with beards and bellies, while leaders of professional organisations influence role acceptance.
- Atypical Santas adapt by reinterpreting traits, like a skinny Santa reframing his missing belly and a disabled Santa using a motorized scooter, while non-prototypical Santas face rejection yet persist as Father Christmas.
- Employers and organisational leaders could relax exclusionary expectations to broaden access, with lessons extending to teaching, nursing and faith-based roles, study co-author Dr. Borbala Csillag says.
- Researchers caution the study sample includes only people who successfully became Santa and advise candidates to `Think about your attributes in a comprehensive way` to find fitting dimensions.
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23 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources23
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
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