Search results

Describes the ways in which Federal Express, the first US service company to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Award, implements total quality management. Considers operations within the company, customer and employee satisfaction and the daily challenges. Reveals how leadership, quality and participation have made Federal Express a world‐class quality company.

Gives the background to, and describes, the suit filed against Microsoft by the US Department of Justice in October 1997. For those such as librarians, dealing with the requirements of information technology, argues that this case is important because it demonstrates the high stakes inherent in the software industry not only for the players, but also for users and purchasers of that software and the operating systems which will be used to display them.

This paper aims to examine a longitudinal study of mentoring functions and their effect on salesperson attitudes and intentions.

The research is based on a multi-year study of salespeople beginning when the salesperson entered the industry being examined.

The level of interaction between the mentor and protégé was found to be the only antecedent examined that related to the perceived quality of mentoring functions. Age, education and length of employment for both parties; the degree of age and education difference; and the length of the mentoring relationship were not significant. Successful mentoring appeared to be based heavily on a mentor’s willingness and ability to interact frequently with the protégé.

This study adds to the literature on mentoring, looking at mentoring in a sales context. Research examining mentoring in a sales setting is much more limited than in many other professions, so the findings represent a valuable addition to the sales mentoring literature. Its influence on sales socialization may be very important.

The purpose of this research is an examination of three different types of sales approaches (product-, solution- and provocation-based) on relational outcomes. The type of sales approach influences buyer's assessments about the trustworthiness of the salesperson and the conflict with the salesperson. These outcomes of the sales approach affect the customer's economic and non-economic satisfaction.

Using cross-sectional survey data from a sample of 840 organizational buyers, a structural equation model measures the path coefficients of the proposed model and tests the differences in the magnitude based on gender.

The results indicate that sales approaches will differentially influence assessments of trustworthiness and conflict. The magnitude of the influence of the sales approach on outcomes is different between genders.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study to examine the impact of sales approaches on both genders of organizational buyers.

Examines the responses of national account decision makers to open‐ended questions asking for their views on what salespeople need to do to build relationships, and categorizes the results. Eight categories of responses were found. These categories address a number of salesperson behaviors and attitudes ‐ some of which have not been empirically examined in the sales literature. Based on the findings of this study, presents managerial and theoretical implications of these results and implications for future research into buyer‐seller relationships.

Examines the effect of the quality of a salesperson’s relationship with a customer on the likelihood of retaining that customer’s business. Assesses the effects of high/low‐quality buyer‐salesperson relationships on obtaining referrals and recommendations from a customer. Results indicate that buyers who rated the quality of their relationship with their salesperson as above average were more likely to remain. In addition, above average buyer‐salesperson relationships were more likely to generate recommendations and referrals from customers. Suggests that a salesperson’s efforts to build relationships are rewarded by greater customer retention and increased business through referrals and recommendations.

Examines the effect of relationship selling activities on salesperson performance. It further explores the link between demographic selection criteria and the propensity of a salesperson to perform relationship selling behaviors. Relationship selling behaviors as examined in this study include interaction intensity, mutual disclosure, and cooperative intentions. The study was based on a sample of 487 business‐to‐business insurance salespeople. Findings indicate that interaction intensity and mutual disclosure have a significant effect on salesperson performance. Cooperative intentions do not influence performance. Results further demonstrate that some demographic criteria appear to be related to a salesperson’s likelihood of engaging in relationship selling.

Report on the findings of two studies—one German/Swiss, the other US‐conducted among advertising/marketing leaders into the prominent role of consumer activist groups. Presents views on these groups and the future direction of their regulatory efforts. Reveals that these organizations are playing an ever‐increasing role in the move towards stranger advertising regulation, noting the impact which they have achieved. Concludes that European and US business people see consumer organizations as not being representative of consumers in general and also as being anti‐advertising.

Intense competition in banking has forced retail banks to take greater interest in customer‐oriented approaches. Because of the increased interest in consumer banking and consumer responses to banking activity, bankers need better ways to evaluate their performance in the consumer banking area. The relationship between the marketing orientation of a bank and consumer satisfaction with its retail operations is examined, using a questionnaire sent to the marketing manager/general manager of each full licence bank in Singapore. Efficiency and courtesy are the most important attributes to customer satisfaction, followed by location convenience. By identifying the order of importance of attributes managers can concentrate their promotional and operational efforts on the more important attributes to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a 5As framework for entrepreneurial nudge public leadership for health and wellness promotion based on two exemplary cases in Mississippi.

The authors use a “case within a case” study design to develop the 5As public influence framework for entrepreneurial public leadership.

Based on the investigated cases of healthcare and wellness promotion in Hernando and Charleston, Mississippi, the authors developed the 5As framework for wellness promotion dimensions of awareness, assistance, alignment, association, and assessment. This framework is applicable to the lived experiences of community members, leaders, healthcare providers, and government.

The study results provide a compelling insight into early-stage formation of entrepreneurial public leadership. However, the study results lack generalizability due to the case study approach used.

This study can assist entrepreneurial public leaders and policy-makers align their strategic wellness goals, initiatives, and policies that motivate community members to seek and receive supporting services.

Developing an original framework for wellness promotion useful to both healthcare practitioners and public leaders, this study contributes to the extant literature on public health leadership and proposes mechanisms for addressing community wellness needs. The framework is designed to address public health concerns by integrating public leadership strategies aimed at linking with existing community wellness and healthcare services.