Body Art in Business: Confronting a New Generation

Abstract

Body art (tattoos) are an increasingly popular phenomenon among millennials. According to the Pew Research Center (PRC) (2019), millennials (53.5%) have surpassed all generations in the U.S. labor force. This is of particular importance because baby boomers currently manage/lead and own the majority of businesses, therefore, determining the professional landscape. The problem is that little research exists to determine if negative stigmas and stereotypes of tattoos exist between generations. The purpose of this two-phase study was to statistically determine the attitudes of millennials and baby boomers toward tattoos to see if tattoos are perceived and acted upon differently by generations.