As Christmas draws closer each year, the familiar image of Santa Claus infiltrates the lives of Western consumers, from soda cans and holiday cards to movies and parades.
Beneath the polyester suit and faux beard of mall Santas everywhere lies the question of what it means to be drawn to a role and live a calling: If children and adults alike imagine a certain Santa, what happens if the person behind the suit challenges expectations?
In a new study1, Christina Hymer, the Douglas A. and Brenda Horne Faculty Fellow in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, and her colleagues examined role prototypicality among Santa portrayers and how people enact a calling, even when they don’t completely fulfill the conventional image.
A Surprisingly Complex World
There is a strong prototype of how Santa should look, speak and act. This stringent standard is reinforced through an entire culture within the Santa community, which intrigued Hymer and her fellow researchers.
“There are trainings, schools, webinars and national networks, like the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas and the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas,” explains Hymer. “The fact that there is such a strong occupational community was not something we expected, but it speaks to the immense meaning that people find in the role.”
Since so many professional Santas find purpose through playing everyone’s favorite gift giver, the calling that is woven into their identities, often regardless of the time of year. Because of this deep connection, community expectations police boundaries of legitimacy.
According to Hymer, there are obvious behaviors that would make a “bad Santa.”
“A bad Santa would be one who curses, who smokes in public or who drinks in public while dressed in character,” she says.
Santa role prototypicality goes beyond shunning specific behaviors. Some professional Santas believe enforcing the Santa prototype is important to maintaining Christmas spirit and traditions.
“Some Santa networks require members to have a real beard to be admitted,” explains Hymer. “Many Santas also mentioned they would retire once they were no longer able to physically perform the duties of Santa, as it might make children question how they could climb up the chimney, for instance.”
Santa! I (Might) Know Him!
What about those who feel called to portray Santa but don’t fit the strict construct of the big, jolly man with a white beard? For their research, Hymer and coauthors explored three different types of role typicality — prototypical, semi-prototypical and non-prototypical — and the different ways people in each category engage with the role and enact their calling.
Prototypical Santas look the part. They are older, heavy-set men, many of whom are “real-bearded.” Members of this group are easily accepted into the Santa community and can access trainings and higher-paying gigs. However, these Santas often feel pressure to be “on” regardless of the location and time of year.
Semi-prototypical Santas mostly fit the traditional image but hold one or more traits that slightly deviate, like a short beard, slimmer build or introverted nature.
“These Santas find ways to enact their calling despite their differences from the conventional image,” Hymer observes. “Many generate backstories to explain away their deviation from the prototype. The semi-prototypical folks can get in the Santa world but might not truly feel like they fit the part.”
According to Hymer, non-prototypical Santas hold traits that significantly differ from the Hollywood portrayal.
Since non-prototypical Santas don’t obviously fit the part, they often build micro-communities and draw meaning internally.
“They abstract the Santa prototype to consider the values that they share with Santa,” explains Hymer. “Instead of leaning on how their physical features make them a fit for Santa work, they might say they are like Santa because they are generous and kind.”
Broader Implications
Hymer acknowledges that examining identity through the Santa context represents a small perspective on vocational pursuit, but she believes the research highlights broader issues of belonging and occupational calling.
“The Santa context provides an extreme lens for examining the intersection of meaning and role prototypes,” she says. “Our findings offer insight into how people can craft meaningful work experiences, even if they might not fully fit their role’s mold.”
This research can be applied to other roles that challenge conventions, such as male nurses and young CEOs. Professionals in these prototype-bending roles can act on their callings, but their paths to fulfillment and belonging might require more creativity and reframing.
For Tim Munyon, head of Haslam’s Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Ergen Professor in Business and Janet and Jeff Davis Faculty Fellow, the research from Hymer and colleagues reinforces the importance of one’s calling as motivational fuel to surmount vocational barriers.
“Many firms struggle to find the talent they need, and this research sheds new light on how nontraditional candidates can succeed while pursuing their vocational callings,” Munyon says. “Thus, there are indeed ‘diamonds in the rough’ in our labor market.”
Rethinking Santa
Bad behavior may violate the treasured role of St. Nick, but not meeting conventional image expectations does not make a bad Santa.
So yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus; but the beard might not be real.
1“Who’s Behind the Red Suit? Exploring Role Prototypicality within Calling Enactment among Professional Santas,” by Christina B. Hymer, Bethany S. Cockburn and Borbala Csillag was published in the Academy of Management Journal.
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Leah McAmis, senior editor, leah@utk.edu
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