Elevating Women in Sales

Bauer College doctoral candidate Renu Sharma has been nationally recognized for her dissertation proposal that sheds light on gender disparities in the sales industry.

Her proposal, “Why Fewer Women Choose Sales: The Role of Job Design and Reward,” was recently named runner-up in the 2026 American Marketing Association (AMA) Selling and Sales Management Special Interest Group (Sales SIG) Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Award.

Sharma’s research examines why fewer women enter sales roles. She focuses on which job characteristics in sales may discourage women from applying, even though industry evidence suggests women often perform strongly once they are in sales.

“If my work is being recognized, it means the topic is important to the field,” Sharma said. “It encourages me to keep going.”

"Getting to the point that I’m out now and being recognized for my work means a lot to me.”
Renu Sharma

Her academic advisors are Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute Research Director Michael Ahearne and Michael J. Cemo Associate Professor of Marketing Johannes Habel. Sharma said that she considers herself lucky to have been accepted into Bauer for her doctoral studies so she could learn under Ahearne and Habel.

They have not only helped in developing her research but also have been amazing mentors, she added.

“Renu’s recognition is incredibly well deserved,” Ahearne said. “Her work takes on a tough but important reality. Women continue to face real structural and cultural barriers in sales, yet when they enter the profession, they consistently perform at the highest levels. By examining how job design and reward systems shape career choice, Renu’s research has the potential to meaningfully expand opportunities and strengthen sales organizations. We’re very proud of her and excited to see the impact this work will have on the field.”

"Renu’s research has the potential to meaningfully expand opportunities
and strengthen sales organizations."
Michael Ahearne, Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute Research Director

In conducting her research for her dissertation, Sharma found a limited number of studies that focus on gender disparities in sales. She said she wanted her dissertation to highlight the experiences of women in sales and the factors that shape their opportunities and outcomes.

“A few years ago, I didn’t imagine I’d be here,” Sharma said. “I’m a first-generation college student. Getting to the point that I’m out now and being recognized for my work means a lot to me.”