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Article
Publication date: 4 February 2014

Peter Magnusson, Robert Peterson and Stanford A. Westjohn

The purpose of this paper is to explore how national cultural values affect sales collaboration directly and how it interacts with the firm's reward structure. The results are…

1956

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how national cultural values affect sales collaboration directly and how it interacts with the firm's reward structure. The results are linked with firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual framework is tested on a large sample of sales organizations across 26 countries. Due to the nested nature of the data, hierarchical linear modeling is used to test the hypothesized framework.

Findings

Sales collaboration is positively related to firm performance, while individualism and masculinity are negatively related to sales collaboration. Rewards alignment leads to greater sales collaboration and is particularly important in highly individualistic and masculine societies.

Practical implications

The study identifies rewards alignment as an actionable management tool to foster greater sales collaboration and, in turn, enhanced firm performance. The study suggests that this is particularly important in cultures associated with high individualism and masculinity. These two values can hinder sales collaboration within the firm, but firm practices (rewards alignment) can counter societal tendencies.

Originality/value

The effects of cultural values have been neglected in prior research on sales collaboration and firm performance. The findings in this study suggest that culture is important and, at times, it can be beneficial for the organizational culture to counter the dominant national cultural values.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2009

Tará Lopez and Amy McMillan‐Capehart

The purpose of this paper is to present an argument for the importance of organizational culture and organizational socialization as controls for business‐to‐business salespeople.

2216

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an argument for the importance of organizational culture and organizational socialization as controls for business‐to‐business salespeople.

Design/methodology/approach

Organization theory suggests that social forms of control can be an effective influence on salesperson activities and behaviors. Based on organization theory, the paper presents a typology of social control combinations and offers propositions to guide future research.

Findings

It is suggested that different combinations of organizational culture and socialization moderate the relationship between person‐organization fit and relevant outcomes such that, under various social control environments, creativity is greater, salesperson performance is higher, and salespeople are less likely to leave the firm and will experience greater job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitation is that it is conceptual in nature. Despite this, arguments presented herein support that socialization activities set the stage for salespeople's attitudes, behaviors, and performance, while organizational culture can reinforce or undermine the firm's socialization efforts. This provides the necessary foundation for future empirical research applying organizational theory to salesperson control.

Practical implications

Salespeople remain the driving force for revenue generation for many business‐to‐business firms. Sales managers are challenged with the task of directing salespeople to meet organizational objectives. However, based on organizational theory, traditional control methods may be less effective because of the unique characteristics of the business‐to‐business sales position. The research suggests that the organizational culture and the socialization tactics used by the sales manager can be tools that sales managers can use to control and direct the activities of salespeople.

Originality/value

Previous research has focused predominantly on outcome‐ and behavior‐based controls for business‐to‐business salespeople and has largely overlooked the potential influence of social controls such as organizational culture and organizational socialization. This research fills that gap.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1996

Earl D. Honeycutt and John B. Ford

In today’s global economy, increasing numbers of companies are entering the international marketplace. The quality of managerial actions in salesforce hiring and training greatly…

3270

Abstract

In today’s global economy, increasing numbers of companies are entering the international marketplace. The quality of managerial actions in salesforce hiring and training greatly influences the overall success of the firm. Although most companies attempt to select and train the most appropriate global salespersons, mistakes are difficult to repair and can lead to business failure. Examines selection and training procedures in a global environment, discusses specific problem situations encountered in the field by the authors, and provides guidance to assist sales managers make more successful hiring and training decisions for their worldwide sales team.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2002

Nigel F. Piercy, Nikala Lane and David W. Cravens

Organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) is discretionary employee behaviour that promotes organizational effectiveness, and has become recognized as an issue of potentially…

23336

Abstract

Organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) is discretionary employee behaviour that promotes organizational effectiveness, and has become recognized as an issue of potentially substantial importance in the management of sales operations. Identifies sales management control strategy as an important antecedent to salesperson OCB, which has been neglected in prior OCB research. Uncovers an important gender dimension in the display of OCB by salespeople, not previously investigated, and identifies an important relationship between sales manager gender and the OCB displayed by a sales unit or team, which is associated with the effectiveness of the sales unit. The findings have a number of important implications for managers concerned with enhancing sales organization effectiveness, as well as identifying a number of promising research directions.

Details

Women in Management Review, vol. 17 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0964-9425

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2021

Richard Conde, Victor Prybutok and Kenneth Thompson

Previous sales control research has limited the definition of outcome controls exclusively to sales outcomes in an outside sales context. In addition to sales outcome controls…

Abstract

Purpose

Previous sales control research has limited the definition of outcome controls exclusively to sales outcomes in an outside sales context. In addition to sales outcome controls, inside sales managers use phone operational outcomes to influence inside sales agent performance, supporting the need to expand the broader definition of outcome controls. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to explore the need to bifurcate outcome controls into two distinct variables: sales and phone operational controls. Researchers know little about the application of sales outcome controls beyond sales-only outcomes, which, in turn, limits the definition of outcome controls.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the utilization of survey, secondary operational data and sales manager’s feedback, this paper demonstrates that the definition of outcome controls needs to be divided into two distinct areas, sales and phone operational controls for inside sales agents, which, in turn, acts collectively to impact an inside sales agent’s job performance and satisfaction.

Findings

This research demonstrates that inside sales managers depend on both sales and phone operational outcome controls to drive sales agent performance, varying in degrees by industry. Even as inside sales managers focus on creating an employee-centric autonomous motivational work culture, the overarching controlling factors associated with phone operational outcomes dampen an inside sales agent’s performance and job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, as the first sales control research to examine an inside sales context, this study provides support to further study sales controls in an inside sales context. This research can be enhanced by examining business-to-consumer inside sales environments, behavior controls, greater sample size and additional work outcomes such as turnover and tenure.

Practical implications

The findings have important implications because they can help practitioners understand the effect that both sales and phone operational outcomes have on sales agent performance. It also illuminates the need for inside sales managers to be less controlling in their focus on phone operational outcomes, as such a practice has a negative influence on key sales agent job outcomes.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to triangulate multiple data sources to illustrate the need to evaluate both sales and phone operational outcomes as broader components of sales outcome controls. The study of sales controls in a different sales context suggests that sales management controls may differ by sales context, opening the door to extend the vast sales control literature beyond its current context of outside sales.

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2023

Pilar Talón-Ballestero, Lydia González-Serrano, M. Dolores Flecha-Barrio and Alicia Orea-Giner

This research aims to answer two major research questions related to the COVID-19 crisis from a longitudinal approach: What is the revenue management (RM) role during the…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to answer two major research questions related to the COVID-19 crisis from a longitudinal approach: What is the revenue management (RM) role during the different periods subject to analysis? What are the RM strategies and measures implemented during this crisis in contrast with a non-crisis context? It also aims to propose an RM implementation model that provides a contingency plan to face future crises.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study, following a longitudinal approach, analyses three round-table discussions with 11 internationally renowned experts during three key scenarios of the COVID-19 crisis: the lockdown period (from March to June 2020) and the following two summer seasons (the post-lockdown period): Post-lockdown I (the summer campaign, 2020) and Post-lockdown II (the summer campaign, 2021). Based on a deductive approach, thematic analysis is conducted using NVivo.

Findings

Further professionalisation of revenue managers, which has enabled the correct application of strategies and measures, highlighting the importance of not lowering prices, the flexibility of booking conditions, the development of other sources of income and the increase in the value of services, amongst others, are key factors in managing this crisis. The longitudinal analysis carried out in three different periods of this crisis shows how these measures have evolved and the contrast with RM application in a non-crisis context. The revenue manager's leadership and proactivity, the holistic organisation of RM marketing, commercial and sales departments and the quick adaptation of RM systems (RMSs) by modifying their algorithms are essential to reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry. This crisis has led the industry to rethink processes and strategies and to increase digitalisation. The proposed model, which considers the various RM strategies and measures implemented during COVID-19 in contrast to a non-crisis context, is the cornerstone for developing a graded contingency plan to face future crises. This research sheds light on the widely discussed role of RM during this crisis.

Research limitations/implications

This study has various limitations. First, the three round-table discussions were held online due to the health crisis, and the chosen webinar format may have biased the participants' answers due to its public nature. Second, the survey was carried out in Spanish. Despite the strong international profiles of the participants, cultural distortion may appear, suggesting that the research should possibly be extended to other cultural contexts in the future. Third, some of the participants were unable to attend all the round-table discussions due to their professional duties, so people with similar profiles were invited to the rest of the sessions.

Practical implications

The revenue manager's leadership and proactivity, the holistic organisation of RM marketing, commercial and sales departments and the quick adaptation of RMSs by modifying their algorithms are essential to reducing the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry. This crisis has led the industry to rethink processes and strategies and to increase digitalisation. The proposed model, which considers the various RM strategies and measures implemented during COVID-19 in contrast to a non-crisis context, is the cornerstone for developing a graded contingency plan to face future crises. This research sheds light on the widely discussed role of RM during this crisis.

Originality/value

This work contributes to the literature by providing a model that considers the various RM strategies and measures implemented during COVID-19 in contrast to a non-crisis context. The novelty of this research is mainly found in the conducting of a deductive and longitudinal study considering previous research focussed on RM strategies applied during the COVID-19 crisis and supplementing it with new measures by applying qualitative techniques.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 40 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1996

Joel Herche, Michael J. Swenson and Willem Verbeke

Argues that salesforce research has typically been conducted in the USA, and that US researchers have developed the theories, designed the research, and interpreted the results…

3825

Abstract

Argues that salesforce research has typically been conducted in the USA, and that US researchers have developed the theories, designed the research, and interpreted the results. Notes that the majority of subjects and respondents in studies designed to test the US theories have been sales personnel in the USA. Assesses the appropriateness of administering personal selling measures to sales personnel outside the country/culture where the measures were developed. Investigates two paradigms of measurement transport: emic (culture specific) and etic (global). Evaluates the psychometric properties of two popular personal selling measures, SOCO and ADAPTS, in a cross‐national context, revealing mixed support for the etic approach.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 30 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Integrated Business Transformation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-049-3

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2003

Mark G. Durkin and Barry Howcroft

Having finally embraced the concept of marketing, banks enter the new millennium in a increasingly competitive and fragmented marketplace, consisting of financially literate…

13263

Abstract

Having finally embraced the concept of marketing, banks enter the new millennium in a increasingly competitive and fragmented marketplace, consisting of financially literate consumers and direct low cost competition from recognised high street brand names. As customers increasingly interact with banks through remote technological channels (e.g. phone, Internet, etc.) the implications for bank‐customer relationships are important. This paper, accordingly, reports on an international research study which explored the perceptions of senior bankers in the UK, Sweden and the USA with regard to the use of the Internet as a relationship marketing tool. There was unanimous agreement that the Internet had a key role to play in relationship management but there was far less agreement about the rates of customer adoption and the extent to which this could or should be influenced by bank strategies.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1997

A.H. Walle

Increasingly, product managers and promotional strategists weigh the impacts of homogeneous products and uniform promotion coupled with the unique character of specific market…

1888

Abstract

Increasingly, product managers and promotional strategists weigh the impacts of homogeneous products and uniform promotion coupled with the unique character of specific market segments. This is especially crucial in an era when many products are advertised in identical ways and consumed in analogous manners over diverse cultural areas. In order to explore the influence of cultural variations on marketing, discusses the conflicting ways in which an international advertising icon, “the Marlboro man”, is interpreted in three different cultural settings. The resulting analysis has both theoretical and practical value.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 35 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

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