Explaining the Appeal of Sales Careers: A Comparison of Black and White College Students

Abstract

As firms attempt to broaden the racial diversity of their corporate sales force through recruiting activities, the perceptions of sales careers held by college recruits is an important issue. Although both black and white college students rate sales careers as being less appealing, previous research suggests that students differ in how they reach this conclusion. The purpose of this investigation, therefore, is to examine the basis for the low appeal ratings normally ascribed to sales careers by black and white college students. The findings of this study suggest that black and white students attach a similar importance to the job attributes of starting salary, autonomy, and education when rating sales career options. These findings imply that educational efforts aimed at improving the perceptions of the salary and autonomy levels offered by a career in sales can be equally effective for both racial minority and majority students.