Is Smoking Stigma Clouding the Objectivity of Employee Performance Appraisal?

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between supervisors' and project leaders' perceptions about the smoking behavior of their subordinate employees and their performance appraisals of their employees. Those who were perceived to be smokers were rated lower than those perceived to be nonsmokers on four of nine job performance measures when controlling for age, race, and gender. The findings suggest smoking stigma may negatively affect the perceptions of one's overall job performance, especially in terms of one's professional comportment, working relations with others, and dependability.