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The call to sell: a qualitative exploration of calling for religiously identified women in multi-level marketing

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dc.contributor.authorJayne, Alexa, author
dc.contributor.authorDik, Bryan, advisor
dc.contributor.authorPrasad, Joshua, committee member
dc.contributor.authorTompkins, Sara Anne, committee member
dc.contributor.authorAlbert, Lumina, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-21T01:24:16Z
dc.date.available2025-01-09T01:24:16Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractWork is a life domain in which many people perceive a calling. Research on calling reveals that workers who perceive and live out a calling often experience a range of positive outcomes, such as increased work-related and overall life satisfaction and well-being. However, living a calling can also lead to negative outcomes, such as workaholism, burnout, and exploitation. Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a business model that operates via direct selling and network recruitment. This business model has been found to be particularly attractive to women. It has also gained traction within the faith community, with many MLM companies aligning with Christian values and faith communities. This study sought to investigate the sense of calling that religiously identified women who work in Young Living, a leading MLM company in the United States, may experience. Six individuals participated in-depth structured interviews, and transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results revealed four domains and multiple themes, including 1) Reasons for Joining (e.g., supplementary income, pipeline of buying to selling, positive previous experiences with product, means to achieve work-life balance, desire to have own business), 2) Sense of Calling (e.g., transcendent summons, desire to educate and share clean products with others, sharing their faith with others, empowering others to become distributors, perceiving multiple callings), 3) Positive Outcomes (e.g., personal and professional growth, belonging to a community of like-minded people, camaraderie with other women in business, positive recognition and social influence, increased religious engagement), and 4) Negative Outcomes associated with the work (e.g., overwhelm and difficulty setting boundaries, moral disagreements with discourse and utilization of certain products, negative perceptions of business structure from others, needing to convince others about usefulness of products). Implications for clinicians, organizations, and future research are explored. Future research is recommended to replicate and validate the results of this study. Research is also recommended to investigate how the results of this study may apply to more diverse samples, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of this study may help to inform clinicians into how one's religious perspective may inform their sense of calling.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierJayne_colostate_0053N_17540.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/235970
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.rights.accessEmbargo Expires: 01/09/2025
dc.subjectmeaning making
dc.subjectpsychology of religion
dc.subjectwork as a calling
dc.subjectmultilevel marketing
dc.subjectcalling
dc.subjectvocational psychology
dc.titleThe call to sell: a qualitative exploration of calling for religiously identified women in multi-level marketing
dc.typeText
dcterms.embargo.expires2025-01-09
dcterms.embargo.terms2025-01-09
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychology
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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