Student Perceptions of the Insurance Profession

Authors

Suzanne N. Cory, St Mary's University
Dana A. Kerr PhD, University of Southern MaineFollow
Jerry D. Todd, St Mary's University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-29-2007

Publication Title

Risk Management and Insurance Review

Abstract

To attract students to the risk management and insurance profession, strategies need to be developed to overcome biases in their perceptions of the profession. This study attempts to determine some of those perceptions of students--specifically a group of business career high school students and a group of college students enrolled in an introduction to business course--about the personality traits of insurance professionals. A Personality Factor Questionnaire previously used extensively in other research was used to measure differences in student perceptions of personality profiles of different professions. We also measured how student characteristics such as age, sex, and expected college major influence student perceptions of these traits. The overall general conclusion was that perceptions of the profession are not as negative as many imagine, but do require some substantive work to improve, even among students seeking business careers.

Comments

© 2007 Risk Management and Insurance Review

Recommended Citation

Cory, Suzanne, Dana A. Kerr, and Jerry Todd, 2007, “Student Perceptions of the Insurance Profession,” Risk Management and Insurance Review, 10(1): 121-136.