Article Peer-Reviewed
Image Discrepancies: Motivators for Sustainable Practices in the Hairdressing Industry
1
University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
2
Federal University of Pernambuco, Avenida dos Funcionarios, s/n, Recife/PE, 50740580, Brazil
3
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, the Netherlands
4
Manchester Metropolitan Business School, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Campus, Manchester, M15 6BH, United Kingdom
*
For correspondence.
Academic Editor:
Received: 1 December 2023 Accepted: 30 August 2024 Published: 12 September 2024
Abstract
This study explores image discrepancies as motivators for sustainable practice adoption in the hairdressing industry. Textual responses from open-ended surveys (n = 166) and semi-structured interviews (n = 14) of UK hairdressers revealed discrepancies between their perceptions of the occupation’s current image and desired image and between how they viewed their occupation and how it was seen by their clients. These arose from the perception that hairdressing was undervalued and partially stigmatized and currently failed to live up to sustainable, professional ideals. Our analysis showed that by engaging with sustainability concerns hairdressers could present themselves as experts helping to address societal issues through haircare, thus claiming a more prestigious occupational status/image. In doing so, we shed light on image discrepancies as motivating factors towards sustainable practice. This study also has practical implications for how to motivate ethical and sustainable practices in small and medium-sized enterprises, with implications for individuals, businesses, and broader society.
Keywords
image motivation; occupational image discrepancies; sustainable, small and medium-sized enterprises; hair
Copyright © 2024
Baden et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use and distribution provided that the original work is properly cited.
Funding
This research was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Grant reference number ES/M004031/1 “Embedding Sustainability in the Hairdressing Curriculum - Sustainable Solutions for Hair and Beauty Sector”.
Cite this Article
Baden, D. A., Horton, K. E., & Peel, J. D. (2024). Image Discrepancies: Motivators for Sustainable Practices in the Hairdressing Industry. Highlights of Sustainability, 3(3), 338–353. https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain3030019
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