Why Do So Few Female Students Select Industrial Distribution As Their Academic Major

Industrial distribution is a multi-billion dollar, business-to-business industry that moves products from the businesses who manufacture goods to the commercial and industrial businesses who use the goods. Industrial distribution is made up of trained professionals who serve an essential role in assisting manufacturers in the distribution of their products and value-added services to customers through the use of technical sales, product knowledge and expertise, and product promotion. An issue within the industrial distribution program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney has been the small number of female students selecting industrial distribution as their major. The malefemale student ratio of declared industrial distribution majors was 90% male and 10% female in 2011-12, compared to the ratio of 59% male and 41% female in other majors within the College of Business and Technology. The purpose of this study was to understand why so few female students picked industrial distribution as their major. Twelve female students from the College of Business and Technology were selected to be interviewed for this qualitative study. Six were industrial distribution majors and six were pursuing other majors. Analysis of the research data generated by the interviews resulted in four emerging themes: 1. Planning for College: While in high school, Academic planning for college was not an orderly, systematic process for most female students interviewed. 2. Understanding Industrial Distribution: Understanding that industrial distribution is a discipline with many opportunities for females as well as for males would encourage more female students to choose Industrial Distribution as a major. 3. Selecting a Major: Selecting an undergraduate major was infl uenced by personal decisionmaking factors that were unique to each female student interviewed. 4. Recruiting More Female Students: Recruiting more female students to the Industrial Distribution major would depend on promoting those features and opportunities that are associated with the major and appeal to female students. INTRODUCTION Within the College of Business and Technology (CBT) at a University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), students can earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Distribution (ID). The ID program’s promotional material noted that individuals who are successful in the ID career fi eld have skills in problem solving, relationship building, interpersonal communications, and working in a team environment. While these skills are applicable to female and male students alike, the 2011-2012 male-female student ratio for the 174 University students who declared ID as their academic major was 90% male and 10% female, compared to the overall CBT student population of 1130 students with a male-female ratio of 59% male and 41% female, excluding ID majors (University of Nebraska at Kearney Department of Institutional Research, personal communication, 2012). PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to understand why so few female students at UNK selected Industrial Distribution as their academic major. Using qualitative data collection techniques, the following research questions were used to guide the course of this study: • How did the current majors of undergraduate female students at the University compare to their original high school plans about their majors in college? • What factors did undergraduate female students at the University consider important when selecting their college majors? • Prior to selecting their current majors, what did undergraduate female students at the University know about the discipline of industrial distribution and the comprehensive major in industrial distribution? • (For non-industrial distribution majors only.) What factors discouraged undergraduate female students at the University from Dr. Greg Benson i s a n A s s i s t a nt