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The purpose of this paper is to examine practices of and differences between small and large organizations as they relate to the training of sales managers.

Utilizing a survey approach, data were collected from a sample of sales managers and trainers employed by firms across the USA. Analysis was conducted between “small” and “large” organizations based on sales force size.

While many similarities do exist between small and large firms' sales manager training practices, some significant differences also exist in terms of teaching approaches, types of instructors, training locations, methods, and content utilized. Results of the current study exhibit both similarities and differences as compared to results of sales manager training practices found in earlier studies.

The study was based on a sample of sales managers and trainers employed by firms within the USA. Sales manager training practices could differ due to cultural differences, the industry the firm competes in, and other factors.

First, sales manager training activities show more similarities than differences between small and large firms. Second, internet‐based training methods are becoming prevalent in large firms while still struggling for acceptance in smaller ones. Third, no one type of instructor is viewed as being highly effective in either small or large firms. Fourth, senior management must support and encourage positive behavioral changes associated with sales manager training or else efforts will fail.

The current study answers the call for research to identify contemporary sales manager training practices, building upon results of previous studies.

Notes that researchers and practitioners recognize that listening is a crucial basic skill on a par with reading, writing, and speaking. Although effective listening is important in almost every profession, it seems particularly significant in business‐to‐business selling. Effective listening skills assist the salesperson in adapting to the prospect and to different sales situations. Successful application of these skills contributes to the added value of the personal selling exchange. Presents an initial attempt to explore the relationship between effective listening, adaptive selling behaviors and salesperson performance. In the past, very little has been done to measure the construct of effective salesperson listening and correlate it with key dimensions (adaptive selling and sales performance). Hopes to contribute to discovering a means of measuring the listening phenomena in a sales environment. The subjects for the study were salespeople representing a Fortune 100 international electronics manufacturer. The subjects were participating in a company‐sponsored training program at the time of the survey. Results of the study indicate support for a positive relationship between effective listening and adaptive selling, performance and job satisfaction.

As we move towards a global economy, success will be determined by how well countries are able to compete in international markets. Japan has realized the importance of implementing custom‐made marketing programmes to support products, as well as designing products to fit customer needs. This Japanese way of marketing is quickly becoming the competitive wave of the future, and many countries may benefit by incorporating Japanese marketing methods into their own marketing style. Thoroughly examines such areas as the development of marketing, marketing philosophy, marketing departments, promotion, distribution, and the final marketing product, to give the reader a better understanding of Japanese marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to study the relational impact of using win-win or win-lose negotiation strategies within different types of buyer-supplier relationships.

A multi-method approach is used. Qualitative interviews with supply chain managers reveal that relationship-specific assets and cooperation are important relational factors in buyer-supplier negotiations. Framing interview insights within the social exchange theory (SET), hypotheses are tested using a scenario-based behavioral experiment.

Experimental results suggest that win-lose negotiators decrease their negotiating partner’s commitment of relationship-specific assets and levels of cooperation. In addition, the use of a win-lose negotiation strategy reduces levels of relationship-specific assets and cooperation more in highly interdependent buyer-supplier relationships than relationships that are not as close.

Buyer-supplier relationships are complex interactions. Negotiation strategy choice decisions can have long-term effects on the overall relationship. As demonstrated in this study, previous research focusing on one side “winning” a negotiation as a measure of success has oversimplified this complex phenomenon.

The use of a win-lose negotiation strategy can have a negative impact on relational outcomes like cooperation and relationship-specific assets. For companies interested in developing strong supply chain relationships, buyer and suppliers should choose their negotiation strategy carefully as the relational impact extends beyond the single negotiation encounter.

Previous research predominantly advocates for the use of a win-win negotiation strategy within interdependent relationships. This research offers evidence that the use of a win-lose strategy does have a long-term relational impact.

Salesforce turnover rates are increasing dramatically. As a result, retention of good salespeople is a critical concern for sales managers. It is suggested that salesforce turnover can be reduced through the use of better selection criteria. To that end, a multiple criteria approach is outlined for organisations to use in the salesforce selection process. The use of this approach will result in a better, long‐run fit between the organisation and its salespeople, thereby reducing turnover and improving customer satisfaction.

Traditionally, European firms have opted for hiring Americans to sell their products in the USA. However, the recent enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) highlights the growing complexity of discrimination regulation in the USA. Even before enactment of this landmark legislation the number of federal suits alleging workplace discrimination in the USA was staggering. Claims that in this litigious environment, European companies that choose to hire Americans to sell their products in the USA must be aware of the legal implications of all selection practices. Aims to provide the sales manager with the basic information needed for a comprehensive orientation to non‐discriminatory selection practices in the USA.

Recognizing the importance of the sales manager to the success of the organization, researchers are beginning to focus attention on the sales manager. Presents the results of an exploratory study designed to isolate differences in the training of sales managers in smaller and larger organizations. Specifically addresses training approaches, leaders, methods, environments, and content. Provides a discussion of the findings with managerial implications and future research direction.

The purpose of this paper is to examine sales manager training approaches, methods, and instructors (as well as their perceived effectiveness, frequency, and assessment).

Utilizing a survey approach, data were collected (and analyzed) from 355 members of two associations: the United Professional Sales Association and the American Society for Training and Development.

First, internal training approaches and instructors are most commonly used and perceived as most effective. Second, sales managers are exposed to a wide variety of training content as part of their training activities. Third, the frequency, duration, and assessment of training vary widely among respondent organizations.

The utilized sample of sales managers and trainers are employed by firms within the USA. Cultural differences could exist in training practices, training content, and perceptions of effectiveness among respondents from other countries.

First, sales manager training activities lie on a continuum that complicates effectiveness measurement. Second, sales manager training should be provided in the field by those who are either senior to or more knowledgeable on the training topic(s) than the sales manager. Third, internet‐based training methods are still in their infancy. Fourth, the complexities associated with the sales manager position lead to a need for varied training being delivered by diverse instructors.

Almost a decade has passed since the last empirical studies of the “nuts and bolts” of sales manager training practices were published. The current study builds on previous work by utilizing a larger sample and incorporating technology advances and new content areas (e.g. financial analysis, networking, partnering, cross‐functional activities).

The purpose of this paper is to conceptually and empirically explore the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurial burnout – that is burnout related to the process of discovery or creation of attractive economic opportunities, the assessment of these opportunities, and the decision on the exploitation of opportunities.

This study is a survey of entrepreneurs in New Zealand who were alumni of a university sponsored executive development course for owner‐managers of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises.

It is found that role stress is positively related to burnout and that burnout has a negative impact on organizational commitment, organizational satisfaction, and relative perceived firm performance. In addition, implications for entrepreneurs are offered with the objective of providing suggestions to mediate the negative consequences of entrepreneurial burnout.

The present study is limited by culture – the sample was drawn from New Zealand entrepreneurs; survivor bias – only successful owner‐managers who self‐selected for executive education were in the sampling frame; and the limits of the metrics. The first additional questions would be how widespread is the problem, and how does that vary by type of entrepreneurial endeavor? The secondary research priority concerns the antecedents of burnout in the entrepreneurial context.

Entrepreneurial burnout may have significant social and economic costs that can be minimized with proper treatment and prevention.

Burnout has not been extensively explored in the context of entrepreneurs.

While collegiality is often discussed and touted as a critical aspect of academia, there is little research that empirically examines collegiality in university business schools. One cause of the paucity of research is the lack of a reliable scale to measure collegiality (Sabharwal, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale that measures collegiality at the departmental level for university faculty, and then uses it to understand the implications of collegiality within an academic department within a business school.

The present study uses a scale development process consisting of: defining the domain of the construct; item generation; and psychometric assessment of the scale’s reliability and validity. Items were adapted for a university business school context from Shah (2011) and Seigel and Miner-Rubino (2009). The scale was administrated using a convenience non-random sample design drawn from active marketing and entrepreneurship academics who subscribe to the American Marketing Association’s ELMAR and the Academy of Management’s ENTRE list-serves.

The faculty collegiality scale (FCS) was found to exhibit sound psychometric properties in this study. The study found that assessments of department-level collegiality are associated with budgets, performance evaluation processes, and workload allocations. In addition, factors from the FCS mediate the relationships between institutional variables and work satisfaction, which indicate that collegiality is an important determinant of work satisfaction in a contemporary university environment.

The FCS developed in the present study offers business school academics and administrators a glimpse into the dimensions of what the marketing and entrepreneurship academics perceive makes a good colleague – one that provides professional and social support and is trustworthy; does not engage in politics, positioning, or rent-seeking to advantage their own situation; and that contributes to the well-being of the students, the department, the discipline and the university. In addition, the present study found that the FCS was related to budgets, performance evaluation processes, and faculty workloads.