The Teddy Bear Effect

Research Article
The Teddy-Bear Effect
Does Having a Baby Face Benefit Black Chief Executive
Officers?
Robert W. Livingston and Nicholas A. Pearce
Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
ABSTRACT—Prior research suggests that having a baby
face is negatively correlated with success among White
males in high positions of leadership. However, we explored
the positive role of such ‘‘babyfaceness’’ in the
success of high-ranking Black executives. Two studies revealed
that Black chief executive officers (CEOs) were
significantly more baby-faced than White CEOs. Black
CEOs were also judged as being warmer than White CEOs,
even though ordinary Blacks were rated categorically as
being less warm than ordinary Whites. In addition, babyfaced
Black CEOs tended to lead more prestigious corporations
and earned higher salaries than mature-faced
Black CEOs; these patterns did not emerge for White
CEOs. Taken together, these findings suggest that babyfaceness
is a disarming mechanism that facilitates the
success of Black leaders by attenuating stereotypical perceptions
that Blacks are threatening. Theoretical and
practical implications for research on race, gender, and
leadership are discussed.