US survey unveils link between looks and 'competence' of chief executives

A new survey conducted by finance experts at Duke University has indicated that certain physical traits may determine how corporate chief executives are viewed by other people.

The study asked 2,000 people to rate the facial characteristics of various chief executives and the heads of smaller firms after looking at photographs, the Associated Press reports.

It discovered that traits such as a solid jaw line and small, piercing eyes were associated with competence among the participants. Furthermore, the executives rated as competent earned a higher average salary than their counterparts.

According to the news agency, the findings suggest a slight variation on the "beauty premium" concept, which states that physically attractive people will make more money during the course of their career.

"We're not finding a beauty premium in terms of attractiveness. But we are finding a competent-looks premium," said Manju Puri of Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

The photographs used for the study included the former chief executives of Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and Washington Mutual.

Other recent research projects at the Fuqua School of Business have included work on corporate social responsibility and unethical behaviour.