Do commissions level the playing field for female producers in the financial services industry?

Abstract

Producers in the financial services industry have recently included a greater percentage of women in this traditionally male dominated business. The focus of this study is an examination of potential differences by gender and the gross and net earnings achieved by individuals in a field that is primarily compensated by commission. Results of both logistic and ordinary least square regressions show that there are differences by gender in demographic characteristics, earnings, professional designations, business mix, and opinions on factors contributing to and detracting from success.