THE EFFECT OF DRESS CODE ON EMPLOYEE’S PERFORMANCES IN THE OFFICE (A STUDY OF ZENITH BANK AND GP MEDIA HOUSE INCORPORATED)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY

In the workplace today, dress code of an office manager is becoming increasingly standard depending on the company policy and nature of services. Issues around dress code of an office manager have come under greater scrutiny especially the secretaries who manages her boss and schedules so as an office manager you must maintain a good image of your organization and yourself. Whether or not employers are aware of the effect in job performance because of casual dress. Apart from these, it is essential that the organization should have those responsible for checking appearance of their employee and those responsible for that should have high knowledge of fashion, colours combination in order to fulfil the role of dress code in office management. The research indicated that although there is effect on performance because of casual dress in the work place, most time, because your appearance especially the office manager promote your status and the progress of your organization since people will always like to do business with organized company; so your speak much about your organization.

“The way you look directly affects the way you think, feel, and act . When you dress down, you sit down—the couch potato trend. Manners break down, you begin to feel down, and you’re not as effective” states the findings of research psychologist, Jeffery L. Magee, that “Continually relaxed dress leads to relaxed manners, relaxed morals and relaxed productivity” and “leads to a decrease in company loyalty and increase in tardiness.”  Dolbow suggests that the accepted casual dress in the office workplace is causing “casual attitudes and a lack of office decorum”. 

There are benefits to wearing casual clothing in the workplace, such as good morale, open communication between managers and employees, and a lack of cost to the employer. However, Gutierrez and Freese also note that the “professional image may be weakened if clients feel employees are too casual to be entrusted with their business.” Whether or not employers are aware of an effect in job performance because of casual dress is unknown. This problem was categorized as developmental research because it “focuses on the change and process of human development . . .” by examining “aspects of behavior in particular sociocultural contexts”.

1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Some organization have over looked the issue of dress code in the past. In the absence of dress code especially the office manager, capable customer/client may not be willing to do business with such organization that is not organized because appearance promote the image of the organization. It is accepted that dress code creates an important source of competitive advantage for the organization. How well has this objective been realized especially in the area of:

1.       Promoting the image of the organization

2.       Promoting moral among employee

3.       Being attractive to the client/ customer in  business wise.

1.3    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The study will:

1.       Determine how dress code affects an employee ability to work.

2.       Identify provision made in the area of dress code by employers to make it easy for employees.

3.       Determine the effect of appearance to outside world (customers clients)

4.       Determine the effect of dress code in office technology management.

1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.       What is the effect of an office manager dress code among other employee in an organization?

2.       Can the appearance of the office manager have any effect on the progress of the organization?

3.       Does the appearance of an employee have any effect on the employee?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

i.        H₁:     Office manager’s dress code has significant effect on other      employee of an organization.

H₀:     The appearance of office manager has no significant effect on other employee of an organization.

ii.       H₁:     The appearance of an office manager has significant effect on the     progress of an organization.

H₀:     The appearance of an office manager has no significant effect on      the progress of an organization.

iii.      H₁:     The dressing of an office manager has significant affect on his/her           performance.  

          Ho: The dressing of an office manager has no significant effect on his/her           performance.

1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

Although the tendency to have a dress code as an office manager in the business world has been increased, this is not to say that the change has been bad. Several sources stake claims in the positive results of the business casual adoption. Some of the more commonly touted benefits include improved employee morale, a lack of cost to the employer, increased worker productivity, more open communication between staff and managers, cost savings to employees because casual business wear is less expensive, and improved work quality(Gutierrez & Freese, 1999, p. 33).

Many sources have noticed a decline in work performance since the start of this trend. “The rise of ‘casual dress’ in the workplace has resulted in casual attitudes and a lack of office decorum” (Dolbow, 2000, p. 10). The Tailored Men’s Clothing Industry cites two recent studies to validate its belief that “casual dress habits in the workplace environment that does not promote or encourage productivity” (Goode, 2000, p. 4). After surveying 500 firms in 1997 and 1998, research psychologist, Jeffrey L. Magee came to the supposition that, “Continually relaxed dress leads to relaxed manners, relaxed morals and relaxed productivity . . . [and] that relaxed dress led to an increase in litigation, a decrease in company loyalty and increases in tardiness” (p. 4).

1.7    SCOPE OF STUDY

This work intended to select two companies in Lagos State to examine how the dress pattern of office managers could affect the work performance and the effects on employees.   In GP-MEDIA HOUSE INCORPORATED located at Lekki, Lagos. female employees comes to work on a blue long sleeves shirt and a black skirt, while the male dresses to work with a blue long sleeves shirt and a black trouser. The office Manager of GP-MEDIA HOUSE comes to work on a white long sleeve shirt bolded with a black tie and a black trouser, and a black suit.

A survey of dress patterns in Zenith Bank, Ikoyi branch, Lagos state, was also carried out. It was observed that the firm imposes a dress pattern ranging from blue to white long sleeve shirts topped with black trouser and skirt for the male and female executive employees, respectively(the males are obliged to wear ties but this may be optional for the females).The office manager also assumes a similar dress pattern.

1.8    LIMITATION OF STUDY

There are problems of bringing together different materials to make a good write-up also problem of time in gathering information are the difficulties of the study.

1.9    HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ZENITH BANK

Zenith Bank Plc is a financial institute with headquarters in Lagos  Nigeria and subsidiaries in the  United Kingdom, Ghana, Sierra leone Gambia and south Africa, they offer premium solution to learning customers, Zenith bank as incorporate 30^th may, 1990 as a private liability company and was licence  to carry an the business as bank on June 1990.

Visions and objectives of Zenith Bank.

·                     Innovation

·                     Excellence to financial performance

·                     Stable and dedicated management team

·                     Highly skilled personnel.

·                     Leadership in the use of information and communication technology.

·                     Strategic distribution channels

·                     Good asset quality.

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