Research on stigma says to just ‘shake it off’

University of Cincinnati study highlights the impact of self-confidence and supportive management on performance in jobs that are often stigmatized

2025-08-29

(Press-News.org) The stereotypical employee may be at a desk in front of a computer screen working a nine-to-five, but for many employees, the work day is filled with manual labor, hazardous environments and late-night shifts. Your local garbage collector, for example, is someone with a job that society might consider “dirty,” both literally and socially.

Scott Dust, PhD, professor in the management department at the University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business, worked with doctoral candidates Sodiq Babatunde and Ben Fagan to analyze the impact of stress and stigma on well-being in certain careers.

Their study, “Shake it off: The role of self-consciousness in dictating whether dirty work reduces satisfaction through emotional exhaustion,” was recently published in the Journal of Management & Organization.

“Dirty workers keep the environment clean, help us live healthy and keep us safe,” Babatunde said. “These guys are essential workers. They do things that many of us cannot do. Despite doing that, they still get stigmatized.”

“The way to combat this is to ensure that the pride these workers feel from what their jobs give them and what they in turn give to society is greater than the sting of judgement,” Fagan said.

The data in their research was clear: workers with more self-confidence were impacted less by any preconceived notions of their careers.

“Although easier said than done, those that don't have a tendency to care what people say or think about them are much more resilient in being able to shake it off and maintain levels of satisfaction with their work regardless of whether others consider it ‘dirty,’” Dust said.

The team also provided ways for management to support employees in so-called ‘dirty jobs.’

Read the full story on UC News.

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