IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormnsc/v70y2024i6p3902-3922.html

Genes and Sales

Author

Listed:
  • Shiyang Gong

    (Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Qian Li

    (International Business School, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing 100089, China)

  • Song Su

    (Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Juanjuan Zhang

    (MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139)

Abstract

This paper presents one of the first marketing applications of molecular genetics. We report evidence that salespeople’s genetic variants linked to educational attainment predict sales performance. Both genetics and selling effort contribute to sales performance, whereas genetics contribute more than personality traits. We further show that adaptive learning, as captured in salespeople’s customer orientation and opportunity recognition skills, may explain the gene-sales relationship. We discuss the implications of these findings for sales management and the value of genetic research for the marketing field.

Suggested Citation

  • Shiyang Gong & Qian Li & Song Su & Juanjuan Zhang, 2024. "Genes and Sales," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(6), pages 3902-3922, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:70:y:2024:i:6:p:3902-3922
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2023.4879
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4879
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4879?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Doug J. Chung & Thomas Steenburgh & K. Sudhir, 2014. "Do Bonuses Enhance Sales Productivity? A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Bonus-Based Compensation Plans," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 33(2), pages 165-187, March.
    2. Jonathan P. Beauchamp & David Cesarini & Magnus Johannesson & Matthijs J. H. M. van der Loos & Philipp D. Koellinger & Patrick J. F. Groenen & James H. Fowler & J. Niels Rosenquist & A. Roy Thurik & N, 2011. "Molecular Genetics and Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 25(4), pages 57-82, Fall.
    3. Guofang Huang & K. Sudhir, 2021. "The Causal Effect of Service Satisfaction on Customer Loyalty," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(1), pages 317-341, January.
    4. Anders Björklund & Mikael Lindahl & Erik Plug, 2006. "The Origins of Intergenerational Associations: Lessons from Swedish Adoption Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(3), pages 999-1028.
    5. Abdel Abdellaoui & David Hugh-Jones & Loic Yengo & Kathryn E. Kemper & Michel G. Nivard & Laura Veul & Yan Holtz & Brendan P. Zietsch & Timothy M. Frayling & Naomi R. Wray & Jian Yang & Karin J. H. Ve, 2019. "Genetic correlates of social stratification in Great Britain," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(12), pages 1332-1342, December.
    6. Daniel Barth & Nicholas W. Papageorge & Kevin Thom, 2020. "Genetic Endowments and Wealth Inequality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(4), pages 1474-1522.
    7. Aysu Okbay & Jonathan P. Beauchamp & Mark Alan Fontana & James J. Lee & Tune H. Pers & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Patrick Turley & Guo-Bo Chen & Valur Emilsson & S. Fleur W. Meddens & Sven Oskarsson & Jo, 2016. "Genome-wide association study identifies 74 loci associated with educational attainment," Nature, Nature, vol. 533(7604), pages 539-542, May.
    8. Tat Y. Chan & Jia Li & Lamar Pierce, 2014. "Compensation and Peer Effects in Competing Sales Teams," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(8), pages 1965-1984, August.
    9. Denis A. Grégoire & Pamela S. Barr & Dean A. Shepherd, 2010. "Cognitive Processes of Opportunity Recognition: The Role of Structural Alignment," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 413-431, April.
    10. Daniel W. Belsky & Avshalom Caspi & Louise Arseneault & David L. Corcoran & Benjamin W. Domingue & Kathleen Mullan Harris & Renate M. Houts & Jonathan S. Mill & Terrie E. Moffitt & Joseph Prinz & Kare, 2019. "Genetics and the geography of health, behaviour and attainment," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 3(6), pages 576-586, June.
    11. Dmitry Shungin & Thomas W. Winkler & Damien C. Croteau-Chonka & Teresa Ferreira & Adam E. Locke & Reedik Mägi & Rona J. Strawbridge & Tune H. Pers & Krista Fischer & Anne E. Justice & Tsegaselassie Wo, 2015. "New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution," Nature, Nature, vol. 518(7538), pages 187-196, February.
    12. Bruce Sacerdote, 2007. "How Large are the Effects from Changes in Family Environment? A Study of Korean American Adoptees," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(1), pages 119-157.
    13. Teri A. Manolio & Francis S. Collins & Nancy J. Cox & David B. Goldstein & Lucia A. Hindorff & David J. Hunter & Mark I. McCarthy & Erin M. Ramos & Lon R. Cardon & Aravinda Chakravarti & Judy H. Cho &, 2009. "Finding the missing heritability of complex diseases," Nature, Nature, vol. 461(7265), pages 747-753, October.
    14. Nicholas W Papageorge & Kevin Thom, 2020. "Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1351-1399.
    15. Bryan N Howie & Peter Donnelly & Jonathan Marchini, 2009. "A Flexible and Accurate Genotype Imputation Method for the Next Generation of Genome-Wide Association Studies," PLOS Genetics, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(6), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Hastie, Nicholas D. & van der Loos, Matthijs J. H. M. & Vitart, Veronique & Völzke, Henry & Wellmann, Jürgen & Yu, Lei & Zhao, Wei & Allik, Jüri & Attia, John R. & Bandinelli, Stefania & Bastardot,, 2013. "GWAS of 126,559 Individuals Identifies Genetic Variants Associated with Educational Attainment," Scholarly Articles 13383543, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    17. Ajay Kalra & Mengze Shi, 2001. "Designing Optimal Sales Contests: A Theoretical Perspective," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(2), pages 170-193, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pereira, Rita & Biroli, Pietro & von hinke, stephanie & Van Kippersluis, Hans & Galama, Titus & Rietveld, Niels & Thom, Kevin, 2022. "Gene-Environment Interplay in the Social Sciences," OSF Preprints d96z3, Center for Open Science.
    2. repec:osf:osfxxx:d96z3_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Barban, Nicola & De Cao, Elisabetta & Oreffice, Sonia & Quintana-Domeque, Climent, 2021. "The effect of education on spousal education: A genetic approach," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    4. Fletcher, Jason, 2023. "Decoupling genetics from attainments: The role of social environments," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    5. Silvia H. Barcellos & Leandro Carvalho & Patrick Turley, 2021. "The Effect of Education on the Relationship between Genetics, Early-Life Disadvantages, and Later-Life SES," NBER Working Papers 28750, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A Rietveld & Kevin Thom, 2026. "The Economics and Econometrics of Gene–Environment Interplay," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 93(1), pages 144-180.
    7. Victor Ronda & Esben Agerbo & Dorthe Bleses & Preben Bo Mortensen & Anders Børglum & Ole Mors & Michael Rosholm & David M. Hougaard & Merete Nordentoft & Thomas Werge, 2022. "Family disadvantage, gender, and the returns to genetic human capital," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(2), pages 550-578, April.
    8. Paul Minard, 2022. "Molecular genetics and mid-career economic mobility," Papers 2209.00057, arXiv.org.
    9. Jaakko Pehkonen & Jutta Viinikainen & Jaana T. Kari & Petri Böckerman & Terho Lehtimäki & Olli Raitakari, 2021. "Birth weight and adult income: An examination of mediation through adult height and body mass," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2383-2398, September.
    10. Lauren L. Schmitz & Dalton Conley, 2016. "The Effect of Vietnam-Era Conscription and Genetic Potential for Educational Attainment on Schooling Outcomes," NBER Working Papers 22393, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Bingley, Paul & Cappellari, Lorenzo & Tatsiramos, Konstantinos, 2023. "On the Origins of Socio-Economic Inequalities: Evidence from Twin Families," IZA Discussion Papers 16520, IZA Network @ LISER.
    12. Owen Thompson, 2017. "Gene–Environment Interaction in the Intergenerational Transmission of Asthma," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(11), pages 1337-1352, November.
    13. Pankaj C. Patel & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Marcus T. Wolfe & Johan Wiklund, 2021. "The Polygenic Risk Score of Subjective Well-Being, Self-Employment, and Earnings Among Older Individuals," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(2), pages 440-466, March.
    14. Barban, Nicola & De Cao, Elisabetta & Francesconi, Marco, 2021. "Gene‐Environment Effects on Female Fertility," CINCH Working Paper Series (since 2020) 74910, Duisburg-Essen University Library, DuEPublico.
    15. Maystadt, Jean-François & Migali, Giuseppe, 2021. "The transmission of health across 7 generations in China, 1789–1906," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    16. Nicholas W Papageorge & Kevin Thom, 2020. "Genes, Education, and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 1351-1399.
    17. Buser, Thomas & Ahlskog, Rafael & Johannesson, Magnus & Koellinger, Philipp & Oskarsson, Sven, 2024. "The causal effect of genetic variants linked to cognitive and non-cognitive skills on education and labor market outcomes," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    18. Giorgia Menta & Pietro Biroli & Divya Mehta & Conchita D'Ambrosio & Deborah Cobb-Clark, 2025. "Aggregating Epigenetic Clocks to Study Human Capital Formation," Papers 2509.14422, arXiv.org.
    19. Nicolas Fleury & Fabrice Gilles, 2015. "A meta-regression analysis on intergenerational transmission of education: publication bias and genuine empirical effect," Working Papers halshs-01143490, HAL.
    20. Kieron Barclay & Torkild Lyngstad & Dalton Conley, 2018. "The Production of Inequalities within Families and Across Generations: The Intergenerational Effects of Birth Order and Family Size on Educational Attainment," NBER Working Papers 24530, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    21. Monique de Haan & Magnus Stubhaug, 2024. "The causal component in the intergenerational transmission of income," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-063/V, Tinbergen Institute.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:70:y:2024:i:6:p:3902-3922. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.