“When Better Performance Doesn’t Pay: Organizational Drivers of the Gender Pay Gap in Sales” with Michael Ahearne, Molly Ahearne, Johannes Habel, and Mohsin Pourmasoudi.
Research
Working Papers
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As political pressure prompts firms to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a critical question arises: Is the work toward gender pay equity truly complete? This research examines compensation disparities between men and women in U.S. sales roles using panel data spanning 9,876 salespeople across 13 industries and all 50 states. Results reveal a significant gender pay gap, with women earning, on average, approximately 6% less than men, equivalent to $7,100 annually. Strikingly, the gap persists despite women exhibiting higher performance and longer tenure, indicating that inequities cannot be attributed to individual outcomes but are conditioned by organizational structure and context. This study identifies three key organizational levers—compensation structure, female leadership representation, and workforce diversity climate—that meaningfully shape the magnitude of gender pay gaps in the sales profession. During a period of DEI retrenchment, this research provides timely, actionable insights for researchers, managers, and policymakers, showing that while gender pay equity in sales is both measurable and achievable, significant work remains to fully realize it.
“Why Fewer Women Choose B2B Sales: The Role of Job Design” with Michael Ahearne, and Johannes Habel.
Award: 2026 Sales SIG Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award Runner Up
Grant: 2026 Behavioral Research Assistance for Doctoral Students (BRADS)
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