Graduation Semester and Year
2017
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration
Department
Business Administration
First Advisor
P. Myrtle Bell
Second Advisor
S. George Benson
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and socioeconomic status (SES) of origin and the prestige level of occupational choice. This study finds that the prestige level of occupational choice is significantly related to background factors that are outside of the control of the individual. This suggests that the interaction between race, gender, generation, perceptions of discrimination, and SES of origin may shape the choices that people make, potentially calling into question the extent of control that people have over their occupational choices. This is an important addition to the existing management literature, which emphasizes personal control over outcomes related to occupational ambitions and choice. This suggests that background characteristics place boundaries on the role of personal agency in occupational choice.
Keywords
Occupational choice, Socioeconomic status, Race, Gender, Generation, Discrimination
Disciplines
Business | Business Administration, Management, and Operations
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
McIntosh, Cheryl K., "Demographic Characteristics and the Bounds of Occupational Choice" (2017). Business Administration Dissertations. 17.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/businessadmin_dissertations/17