Much research has been done on the psychological effects of certain colors, and especially on how they influence consumers in commercial atmospheres (Belizzi, Crowley, & Hasty, 1983). Belizzi and Hite (1992) suggest that the atmosphere in which purchases are made can influence product image and consumer attitude. An area that has not been considered, at least not to a great extent, is how colors that companies use to affect the customers affect the workers in these establishments. Are employees susceptible to the same psychological influences as consumers? Some see the “consumer mind” as something that is malleable and able to be swayed by colors, while an employee is a part of the manipulative mechanism. Others will argue that people are people, and both employee and patron are only human. Thus, they respond to the same psychological stimuli in similar ways. Before investigating whether color affects patrons and employees similarly, however, a basic knowledge of the current research on color psychology must be established.
Communication and psychology scholars have done a lot of work in the area of color psychology. In general, people associate blue with comfort, orange with distress, yellow with joy, and purple with dignity (Kaya & Epps, 2004, ICA). White represents purity in America and most European nations, while several Asian cultures associate it with death and mourning. Research subjects generally recognize black as a color of high expense, luxury, and power. (Aslam, 2006). Also, red is exciting and green is relaxing (Kaya & Epps, 2004, CJS). Experts in color psychology have generally approached their research with two different types of questions. Some investigate the preference and pleasantness of certain colors, while other experts study particular associations with which people connect specific colors (Whitfield & Wiltshire, 1990). While most findings in color psychology are relatively widespread, experts have seen overall differences in the responses of children and adults, as well as in men and women (Whitfield & Wiltshire, 1990). Recent work in color psychology has sought to discover how subtle differences in hue, chroma, and value affect the influence of particular colors (Gorn, Chattopadhyay, Yi, & Dahl, 1997).
Experts have done much cross-cultural research as well. Aslam (2006) notes that blue has several distinct meanings for particular cultures all over the world. It is the color of business in America, evil in East Asia, warmth in the Netherlands, cold in Sweden, death in Iran, and purity in India. He also points out that green represents danger in Malaysia, happiness in Japan, trustworthiness in China, and good taste in America. Oftentimes, nations that are geographically close to each other will develop similar color associations. Jacobs, Keown, Worthley, and Kyung-Il (1991) constructed a study that tested subjects' responses to grey, blue, green, red, yellow, purple, brown, and black. Those from China, Korea, and Japan had very similar results. Furthermore, their answers were quite different from those provided by Americans.
More specifically, a lot of color psychology research has focused on the business world, particularly marketing and promotions. So much research has applied the effects of color psychology to marketing because color is among the three most important factors in deciding on a purchase (Leichtling, 2003). [Funk and Ndubisi (2006) promote the use of colors in establishing awareness, differentiation, satisfaction, brand recognition, and loyalty.] Bottomley and Doyle (2006) performed a study showing that some colors are more fit for the logo of certain products than others are. Subjects deemed colors such as grey and black more appropriate for functional products and services such as utilities, while violet and red seemed more suitable in the logo for expensive restaurants or nightclubs. Kaszubowski (2004) wrote an overview of the research experts have done on color in food packaging. He notes that black stands for elegance, wealth, and sophistication, green symbolizes nature, and orange seems to say that a product is rich in vitamins. Also with regard to packaging, Flynn and Warden (1926) performed a study that proved the ability of color to alter the perceived weight of a product. In discussing the interior design of restaurants, Singh (2006) mentions that red is an appetite stimulant, while blue has the opposite effect. Kaszubowski (2004) adds that yellow also stimulates appetite. Grossman and Wisenblit (1999) note that casinos take advantage of the arousing nature of red to stimulate gambling. Leichtling (2003) explains that advertisers often gear some of the more vibrant colors, such as teal, toward young consumers, and that matching color and target audience in an ad campaign is very important.
Almost none of this research, however, takes into account how colors affect the employees of companies, restaurants, and stores. This is why I propose research that tests the psychological effects of color on workers. Even the research that does take employees into account fails to acknowledge those who work in restaurants or stores. A very large majority of experimentation on workers has focused on the office atmosphere (Wineman, 1982; Oldham & Rotchford, 1983; Davis, 1984). Even this body of research has failed to comment much on color. Most of the studies testing the effects of office design have focused on the structure of windows (Biner, Butler, & Winsted, 1991), the openness of the office (Hedge, 1982), or the level of privacy employees feel (Sundstrom, Burt, & Kamp, 1980). I have also noticed several flaws in what little research has been done on psychological effects of color on workers. Sometimes, a study on workers will also test the responses of consumers, thus not focusing on either group (Bitner, 1992). Other research has tested students or children, and not adults who work full-time (Stone & English, 1998). Lastly, many studies failed to address color and instead focused on furniture comfort or distractions, such as smells and sounds (Davis, 1984). I think research on how color affects employees in restaurants would be very interesting, informative, and rewarding because almost no testing has been done in this area. Research on workers has been mostly been confined to offices. Yet, people in America, and all over the world, work in restaurants, on farms, in classrooms, in courtrooms, and in many other places that do not resemble offices. As I have already done a small amount of research on color psychology in the food industry, and more specifically in restaurants (Goldstein, 2007), I would like to tackle this portion of the workforce and its psychological response to color in its places of employment.
