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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2007

Felix Abeson and Michael A. Taku

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sales networks and effectiveness in overseas government markets with a focus on overseas home‐country officials…

1183

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between sales networks and effectiveness in overseas government markets with a focus on overseas home‐country officials, and local key government officials.

Design/methodology/approach

A random sample of American firms and their affiliates that have engaged or are engaged in project contracting with African governments was surveyed to collect data for the study using a mail survey.

Findings

Connectedness to home‐country overseas actors is positively associated with network connections involving key government officials. This local network connection, in turn, has a positive effect on sales effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to bidding on projects and selling to government agencies in the African context. More research focusing on different industries and markets are needed to increase knowledge regarding the effect of network connections on international sales effectiveness.

Practical implications

The practical implications of this study include the need for international sales managers to engage in networking involving their home‐country official overseas as well as local government officials. Therefore, exporting advocacy is important. Also, the education and training of international sales people should emphasize the concept of sales network.

Originality/value

The study extends understanding regarding the network approach to international sales in government markets.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2014

Harri Ryynänen and Risto T. Salminen

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding about the key persons (promoters) in project business organizations. By doing this, the managers may enhance the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding about the key persons (promoters) in project business organizations. By doing this, the managers may enhance the communication flow by connecting the experts and the executives more efficiently.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is an in-depth single case study in which the case represents a typical industrial project sales process. The case is analysed through content analysis and social network analysis that offers a structured and rigorous method of analysing social networks.

Findings

The findings indicate that during project sales there may be numerous process promoters with the dual roles of power and process promoter. In addition, this study demonstrated the appearance of process promoters in the project supplier's social network. The findings of the present study contribute to the literature on promoters by focusing especially on process promoters during project sales.

Practical implications

The results of the present study suggest that the process promoters need to be identified and supported in order to build an effective cross-functional project sales team in project business.

Originality/value

While the extant literature identifies the promoters in organizations, there appears to be a dearth of studies that relate to the early phases of project sales, despite the fact that these phases have a substantial impact on subsequent phases. This study is a rare example to study empirically the promoters in the project business organization's social network.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2020

Babak Hayati and Sandeep Puri

Extant sales management literature shows that holding negative headquarters stereotypes (NHS) by salespeople is harmful to their sales performance. However, there is a lack of…

Abstract

Purpose

Extant sales management literature shows that holding negative headquarters stereotypes (NHS) by salespeople is harmful to their sales performance. However, there is a lack of research on how managers can leverage organizational structures to minimize NHS in sales forces. This study aims to know how social network patterns influence the flow of NHS among salespeople and sales managers in a large B2B sales organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors hypothesize and test whether patterns of social networks among salespeople and sales managers determine the stereotypical attitudes of salespeople toward corporate directors and, eventually, impact their sales performance. The authors analyzed a multi-level data set from the B2B sales forces of a large US-based media company.

Findings

The authors found that organizational social network properties including the sales manager’s team centrality, sales team’s network density and sales team’s external connectivity moderate the flow of NHS from sales managers and peer salespeople to a focal salesperson.

Research limitations/implications

First, the data was cross-sectional and did not allow the authors to examine the dynamics of social network patterns and their impact on NHS. Second, The authors only focused on advice-seeking social networks and did not examine other types of social networks such as friendship and trust networks. Third, the context was limited to one company in the media industry.

Practical implications

The authors provide recommendations to sales managers on how to leverage and influence social networks to minimize the development and flow of NHS in sales forces.

Originality/value

The findings advance existing knowledge on how NHS gets shared and transferred in sales organizations. Moreover, this study provides crucial managerial insights with regard to controlling and managing NHS in sales forces.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 35 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2022

Omar S. Itani, Vishag Badrinarayanan and Deva Rangarajan

This study aims to develop and test a process model of the effect of social media use by business-to-business (B2B) salespeople on their value cocreation and cross/upselling…

2156

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop and test a process model of the effect of social media use by business-to-business (B2B) salespeople on their value cocreation and cross/upselling performance. Adopting a research acquisition perspective, the authors claim that salesperson’s social media use is critical for generating social capital – an operant resource characterized by superior market knowledge, reputation and networking – which, in turn, directly and synergistically enhances value cocreation and cross/upselling outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A model is developed based on extant sales research on salesperson’s social media use and social capital theory. Data from B2B salespeople is analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results demonstrate that salespeople’s social media use enhances their social capital with support for direct effects on market knowledge and reputation, and indirect effect on networking. The results also show that the three aspects of social capital drive value cocreation, which enhances cross/upselling performance. Post hoc analysis shows the indirect effects of salesperson’s social media use as well as the interconnected effects of the aspects of social capital on value cocreation.

Practical implications

The study indicates that salespeople should be encouraged to use social media as a means for enhancing market knowledge and reputation, which can then be leveraged to build networking skills. Providing training to salespeople and coaching them on how to build their social capital is essential if organizations need to capitalize on novel ways to improve the value cocreation performance of their sales teams.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates how salespeople’s social media use can enhance their social capital, which, in turn, is critical for value cocreation and cross/upselling performance. The proposed framework opens opportunities for future studies to examine the role of salesperson social capital and value cocreation in B2B exchanges.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 57 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2020

Yong Liu, Zhi-yang Liu and Jiao Li

The purpose of this paper is an attempt to design a proper incentive coordination mechanism to deal with the channel conflicts between the traditional sales and online direct sales

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is an attempt to design a proper incentive coordination mechanism to deal with the channel conflicts between the traditional sales and online direct sales.

Design/methodology/approach

With respect to the problems of channel conflicts between the traditional sales and online direct sales, to optimize the sale system and get more profits, considering the influences of consumer network acceptance, the authors establish demand and profit function based on consumer's utility, respectively. What's more, we exploit the game theory to analyze the optional decisions of the supply chain under the incentive coordination condition and no incentive coordination condition, and then we discuss the supply chain's optimal pricing, demand, profit and compensation incentive levels with the different effect of consumer network acceptance.

Findings

The level of compensation incentive provided by the manufacturer is influenced by consumer network acceptance and product cost. The lower the consumer network acceptance, the better the compensation incentive coordination effect of manufacturers. Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers are all important players in real supply chain relationships. When a manufacturer exists as a dominant role, it should pay full attention to the impact of consumer behavior on supply chain decisions.

Practical implications

The research can clarify the influence and mechanism of consumer behavior on supply chain channel conflict coordination, and deal with channel conflicts.

Originality/value

The proposed incentive coordination can effectively realize supply chain channel conflict resolution, and provide decision-making ideas and methods for manufacturers to develop the supply chain management of online direct sales channels.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2012

Kevin McKague and Sarah Tinsley

In Bangladesh, 30 percent of the population lives beyond the “last mile” of traditional distribution networks and serving this rural low‐income population with socially useful…

Abstract

Purpose

In Bangladesh, 30 percent of the population lives beyond the “last mile” of traditional distribution networks and serving this rural low‐income population with socially useful goods is a huge challenge. The purpose of this paper is to present one of the most innovative and successful cases of its kind in the world, a social enterprise rural distribution model originally developed by CARE Bangladesh and the Bata Shoe Company, to illustrate the possibility of combining market‐based solutions to poverty with socially responsible business growth.

Design/methodology/approach

This in‐depth case study was developed over the course of three field visits to Bangladesh between November 2009 and September 2010 based on 25 face‐to‐face interviews with rural sales women, Bata employees and CARE staff as well as participant observation and review of project documents and media reports.

Findings

The case provides insights into the origins, lessons learned and key success factors of viable rural sales agent distribution networks serving the poor. A key tension to be managed is keeping the costs of the network down while ensuring that every member is adequately incentivized.

Social implications

The 3,000 women sales agents in rural Bangladesh engaged with the Rural Sales Program have benefited from earning viable incomes in contexts where opportunities for employment and empowerment of women are limited. Rural populations have gained affordable access to socially beneficial goods such as fortified foods, seeds, daily necessities and shoes. Companies have benefited from learning how to adapt their product offerings to meet the needs of low‐income customers.

Originality/value

Where rural sales initiatives elsewhere have faced challenges, this case is the first published account of the origins of how CARE, Bata, and other companies established a viable and scalable rural sales agent distribution network for the commercial benefit of companies and the economic and social benefit of poor women and their customers.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 September 2017

Günter Prockl, Aseem Kinra and Herbert Kotzab

Container shipping is generally considered a global business. This truth may not hold from a single-company perspective. The companies’ physical operation networks show that…

2467

Abstract

Purpose

Container shipping is generally considered a global business. This truth may not hold from a single-company perspective. The companies’ physical operation networks show that container carriers operate differently and follow different paths in their internationalisation development. Additionally, the degree of internationalisation, measured on the basis of sea-oriented operations, differs from that measured according to land-oriented front-end marketing and sales activities. The purpose of this study is to further examine the internationalisation patterns of shipping lines.

Design/methodology/approach

An examination of the front-end activities and the structures of leading container-shipping companies is conducted. The sales office networks of the sector’s 20 largest companies worldwide (by twenty-foot equivalent unit capacity) are analysed as key indicators. The numbers of sales offices are measured by analysing the websites of the sample (20 companies), as well as annual reports and other publicly available data sources.

Findings

The findings show that not all shipping companies are international, by virtue of the industry. While it is difficult to observe differences in the overall patterns of the sales networks at a macro level, some companies differ in their activities. The data set also shows that market share and total capacity are not necessarily good indicators of a carrier’s worldwide presence.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on secondary data. Other important transactional and market-oriented considerations should be examined before drawing conclusions about the internationalisation of container-shipping companies and of the industry.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the relevant existing research, particularly by adding its view on the demand-oriented criteria as suggested by Dunning and Lundan (2008).

Details

Maritime Business Review, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2397-3757

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 August 2018

Guy Basset, Rozenn Perrigot and Gerard Cliquet

In this chapter, using a dual approach based on managerial and legal perspectives, we examine franchisee attitudes regarding online sales in franchise networks to better…

Abstract

In this chapter, using a dual approach based on managerial and legal perspectives, we examine franchisee attitudes regarding online sales in franchise networks to better understand their views of the costs and benefits of e-commerce in a franchise network. We thus explore the following research questions from a franchisee perspective: What are franchisees’ attitudes regarding online sales?; Are online sales viewed as complementary or competing sales for physical stores?; What about the opening of a franchisor’s website?; and What about the opening of a franchisee’s website? We also analyze how several different e-commerce options available to franchisors impact franchisee incentives and how they would be treated under European Union competition law.

The empirical research is based on the conduction and analysis of 46 in-depth interviews with franchisees in the retail and service industries in the French market.

We find that online sales in franchise networks raise important questions for the franchisees, and for the franchisors as well. E-commerce has to be integrated into the development strategies of franchise networks. Franchisors should facilitate the online sales practices of their franchisees in order to avoid potential conflicts with them or among the franchisees themselves, thereby maintaining the control necessary to ensure healthy network growth. Moreover, franchisors should pay attention to the sharing of Internet sales with its franchisees.

Our chapter contributes to the stream of franchising literature dealing with the use of Internet in franchise networks. Moreover, it can be viewed by franchisors, franchise experts, franchisees, and franchisee candidates as an overview of issues linked to online sales in franchise networks. It also highlights best practices when having a multichannel strategy.

Details

Healthcare Antitrust, Settlements, and the Federal Trade Commission
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-599-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2021

Augusty Tae Ferdinand and Siti Zuhroh

This study aims to build a conceptual model based on socio-aesthetic value accentuation (SAVA), positional advantage and sales-network power as the bridging process for enhancing…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to build a conceptual model based on socio-aesthetic value accentuation (SAVA), positional advantage and sales-network power as the bridging process for enhancing sales performance in the context of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

A structural study methodology is adopted. In all, 200 owner– managers of SMEs were involved in the study and voluntarily spent time for an interview in the data collection process. To test the model and hypotheses, the authors used the analysis moment structure structural equation modeling (AMOS SEM structural model software to analyse 178 usable questionnaires.

Findings

The results demonstrate three strategic pathways to enhanced sales performance, namely, anchors on SAVA, positional advantage and sales-network power and are the basis of the separate contribution of our proposed strategic equilateral triangle model for conceptual bridging.

Research limitations/implications

The rejection of the hypothesis provides a room for further research. The sample frame of Indonesian SMEs limits the generalisation power of SAVA concept, which then calls for replication to achieve a broader generalisation. The theoretical implication of the study relates to strengthening the applicability of the theory of service-dominant logic in marketing studies.

Practical implications

There are several practical managerial implications for SME entrepreneurs seeking to improve sales performance.

Originality/value

This pioneering study explains the role of SAVA – positional advantage and sales-network power to bridge innovation capability and enhanced marketing performance.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Roberta Bocconcelli, Marco Cioppi and Alessandro Pagano

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of social media (SM) adoption in upgrading and innovating selling processes by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) facing…

5676

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of social media (SM) adoption in upgrading and innovating selling processes by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) facing complex and rapidly changing market scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this goal, the paper undertakes an exploratory case study of Gamma, a mechanical company, by actively using SM to start and open a new market. The case-study is analyzed through the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) approach, which emphasizes the role of interaction and the interdependencies of resources.

Findings

The adoption of SM resources helped Gamma to tap into new markets and thus survive and face the downturn of its original market. SM displayed its effects in combination with other resources: a simple and not expensive machinery, capable human resources, effective production and logistical resources. SM represented a strategic resource to implement an effective business networking effort.

Originality/value

This paper provides novel empirical evidence and conceptual development over the role of SM as a resource in SMEs’ sales processes, using the IMP perspective on combination and development of resources.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

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