Study: Obese Salespeople Face Discrimination in Sales Industry
InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report

3/23/2005 3:22:37 PM

A study conducted by the H.H. Gregg Center for Professional Selling at Ball
State University found that discrimination against obese professionals is
rampant in the sales industry.

The study found that obese salespeople were less likely to be considered
for quality assignments even when their performance and qualifications were
the same as someone of a lesser weight.

Source: Inside INdiana Business

Ball State University Press Release

MUNCIE, Ind. – In the eyes of many sales managers, employees of ideal
weight are more qualified to work the best sales territories while obese
sales people are relegated to the worst areas — if they are hired at all,
says a new study from Ball State University.

A survey of 122 Midwest-based sales managers, directors of sales or
business owners found obesity-caused discrimination is rampant in the sales
industry, says Ramon A. Avila, director of Ball State's H.H. Gregg Center
for Professional Selling, who co-authored the study with Shaheen Borna, a
marketing professor.

"Our findings support the proposition that obesity is a factor when
assigning territories, which is the fundamental management activity in the
industry," said Avila, who is also the George and Frances Ball
Distinguished Professor of Marketing. "Obese salespeople were less likely
to be considered for quality assignments. Even when performance and
qualifications were constant, sales managers are likely to discriminate by
weight. While it may not be conscious, it still exists."

In the study, managers were asked to assign new employees to territories
based on an information sheet and two versions of a photo of the employee —
one at ideal weight and the other obese. Both male and female candidates
had the same facial shots and clothing, but computer morphing added pounds
to create an "obese" person.

Sales managers were informed that two territories needed sales people. They
had the option of rejecting the candidate or allowing the person to be
assigned to a sales territory out of his or her control.

The study found managers:

--Were less likely to assign an obese person to one of the two vacancies

--Were less likely to hire an obese woman than an obese man

--Were less likely to assign an obese woman to the most desirable
territories

--Were more likely to assign people of "ideal" weight to better territories

The study also found that managers with 10 or more years of experience were
less likely to assign or hire an obese person to fill one of the vacancies.

"Sales managers in this research project, and in most recent studies, have
shown less of a tendency to discriminate by sex," Avila said. "Sex
discrimination has received much more attention and is much more likely to
be included in sensitivity and diversity training. The time may be right
for more attention to obesity in these types of training programs.

"We also found indications that obesity discrimination is more likely to
occur when women deal with obese women," he said. "Although the social
identity explanation for

this phenomenon is theoretically elegant, sales managers and higher-level
managers must acknowledge and develop ways to deal with this real and
potentially sensitive problem."

Avila said the study pointed out that experienced managers, who were less
likely to assign obese people to vacant territories, also need to
participate in such training programs.

Source: Ball State University