Reality Television and the Influence of Gender on Decision Behavior in Business Situations: A Study on Gender Influence on Decision Behavior in The Apprentice with Donald Trump

The Apprentice with Donald Trump has become one of the most popular reality television shows. It is
based on business and management situations. Business schools around the country have used The
Apprentice as a teaching tool for case studies in classrooms. The purpose of this study was to
investigate the influence of gender and its role in termination decisions. This research is the result of a
four-year study on management decisions on termination in Donald Trump’s The Apprentice. This
crosstab analysis was conducted with three independent focus groups using The Apprentice. The
results of this study can assist researchers to ascertain whether gender is plays an influence on
management decisions in business. This focus study of business professionals and MBA students
(aged 18 to 50). A sample of (N=299) participants were used for the focus groups. The participants
viewed various episodes of The Apprentice and were administered a survey based on their
observations and decisions. The participants viewed various episodes of The Apprentice and were
administered a survey based on their observations and decisions. There were three key findings from
the study. First, the findings of the study indicate there were some significant gender differences with
firing individuals based on viewing the reality television show. Second, the findings indicate gender is
a strong predictor variable in termination decisions. Last, in addition, between males and females,
male participants’ mean and standard deviation coefficients were higher. The conclusions of the study
indicate that management researchers and practitioners should, however, carefully evaluate gender
and its influence on management decisions in business decisions.