Names can impact promotion opportunities

If you want your child to have a chance to achieve a high position in society, parents should give them simple and easy-to-pronounce names, a study confirms.

Livescience reported that scientists at the University of Melbourne in Australia and New York University in the US explore the role of an individual's name in the process of impression creation in others. They looked at the names of people in management positions in businesses and organizations in various fields. The subjects studied in the US but originated in Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Western Europe.

Simple and easy-to-pronounce names make it easier for people to impress their kind.

The results show that the simpler and easier the name of an employee is, the greater the opportunity for promotion. This trend is most evident in lawyers. The 'arrogant' names are simple and easy to pronounce, much faster than colleagues with long, complicated and difficult to pronounce names.

'People are almost unaware that the name can exert a subtle influence on how we value each other , ' said Adam Alter, a member of the research team.

The team also found that politicians with easy-to-pronounce names have a higher chance of winning elections than other colleagues in political races. But they also acknowledge US President Barack Obama is a rare exception.

Simon Laham, the leader of the research team, said: "Research results are important for managers in the process of appointing subordinates, because sometimes we have a good impression on others because of the name, not work capacity.

'Recognizing that fact helps us eliminate prejudice in the process of assessing others, whereby we treat others more equitably , ' Laham said.