Sky-High Style: An Overview and Research Agenda on Aesthetic Labour in the Airline Industry from a Gender Perspective

Aesthetic labour is a significant concept that has been examined in several fields, including sociology, psychology, management, and organisational behaviour. Aesthetic labour, which is closely related to emotional labour, refers to companies’deliberate actions regarding employees’ appearances in the context of recruiting, career advancement, performanceassessments, and compensation, all of which are aligned with established standards. The service sector recognises aestheticlabour as a vital component of the marketing mix and service quality, with current research highlighting its genderedcharacteristics. Research on the antecedents and consequences of aesthetic labour, specifically within the airline industry,remains limited, despite its examination in various occupations. This study investigates the determiners and outcomes ofaesthetic labour through a gender lens and provides suggestions for future research on the airline industry. This studyreveals that although organisations use aesthetic labour as a crucial strategic tool, it could also result in individual andorganisational outcomes, including stress, burnout, and discrimination. This study is expected to be a valuable guidefor decision makers in the airline industry, human resource experts, industrial and organisational psychologists andresearchers.