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Most firms have a number of unprofitable customer relationships that drain the firms' resources. However, firms in general and sales representatives in particular hesitate to address this problem and, ultimately, to terminate business relationships. This paper therefore aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of sales representatives' relationship termination competence.

A model of antecedents of sales representatives' relationship termination competence is developed and tested using a cross-sectional survey of more than 800 sales representatives. The impact of the constructs “termination acceptance”, “definition of non-customer”, “termination routines” and “termination incentives” on termination competence are analyzed using PLS.

A sales representative's termination competence is positively influenced by greater clarity and wider dissemination of the definition of a “non-customer”, higher prevalence of termination routines, and increasing degrees of termination incentives. Acceptance of relationship termination at the firm level does not appear to have a significant impact on sales representatives' relationship termination competence. In addition, termination competence significantly affects the value of customer portfolios.

The findings suggest that managers should more actively consider relationship termination as a legitimate option in customer relationship management. In order to increase the value of a firm's customer portfolio, managers must not only provide a clear definition of the types of customers the organization does not want to serve, but must also implement termination routines within the organization. Managers also need to establish incentives for sales representatives to terminate relationships with unprofitable customers.

This paper contributes to the currently scarce research on relationship termination by documenting results from a large-scale analysis of relationship termination.

Buyers have been formally evaluating suppliers for many years. Intends to “turn the tables” and suggests three important reasons why vendors should formally evaluate their customers. A straightforward easily applied mechanism is provided to aid business marketers in carrying out customer evaluations.

Given the intensified competitiveness in the wine retail industry, partnering with quality suppliers becomes critical to ensure a steady supply of high-quality products and sustainable business growth. This study aims to explore how wine supplier quality attributes impact wine retail businesses and if such effects differ depending on wine retail types.

Data were obtained from wine purchasing managers in Korea. To validate the proposed relationships, structural equation modeling was used. A multigroup analysis was conducted to test distinct roles of on/off-premise wine retail types within this research framework.

Results support the significance of supplier quality attributes in shaping the landscape of wine retail businesses. Operational and strategic benefits exhibited a positive effect on both financial performance and suppliers’ relationship satisfaction, thereby improving the intent to continue working with suppliers. This study revealed noteworthy distinctions in the effects of supplier quality attributes on operational and strategic benefits between on-premise and off-premise wine retailers.

Findings provide valuable insights to wine suppliers and buyers concerning the establishment of a mutually beneficial long-term interdependent relationship. The approach sheds light on the unique dynamics of wine retail types, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the distinct roles of supplier quality attributes on on-premise and off-premise retailers.

This study developed an integrative framework, emphasizing the importance of supplier quality attributes in the wine retail industry. This model offers valuable insights into creating favorable buyer–supplier relationships that result in mutual benefits for both wine retailers and suppliers.

This paper seeks to identify and assess the problems of distribution and logistics that arise in the fishery sector in Greece and to examine the impact of market orientation with regard to these problems.

The paper is based on the findings of a survey involving 186 companies. Descriptive statistics for each variable were used in order to assess the importance of each problem of distribution and logistics. Cluster analysis was carried out based on the perception of the importance of the problems of distribution and logistics. In addition, “crosstabs”analysis was used to examine the association between distribution problems and the firm characteristics of each cluster. Finally, linear multiple regression analysis was carried out, with each problem of distribution and logistics taken as the dependent variable and each element of marketing and logistics taken as an independent variable.

The importance of distribution and logistics problems varied widely, as did the market orientation between the groups of participating firms. In addition, certain firm characteristics and infrastructure factors can become so significant that they directly affect the degree of importance of the above problems.

Distribution & Logistics Managers should be aware of the significant influence that certain characteristics of the firms can have on the distribution function. Special attention should be paid to the importance of the distribution problems and the role of market orientation.

Unlike earlier research carried out in this domain, this study deals with a much wider range of problems and a broader cross‐section of companies. In addition, it is the first to focus in detail on the degree of importance of distribution problems and the role of market orientation.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new composite model using structural equation modelling (SEM) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for the selection of suppliers.

In this paper the authors have made an attempt to arrive at the supplier selection score using SEM and AHP. An attempt has been made to develop a new composite model using SEM and AHP technique, based on the survey of 151 respondents. Attributes' weightage are found out using cluster analysis.

Based on the output from the composite model, cluster analysis has been carried out to find out the strengths and weakness of each supplier on the influencing factors. Based on these findings, the supplier can improve on factors where they lag and can maintain the factors where they excel.

In this paper the authors have made an attempt to arrive at the supplier selection score using SEM and AHP.

Competitive international business environment has forced many firms to focus on supply chain management to cope with highly increasing competition. Hence, supplier selection process has gained importance recently, since most of the firms have been spending considerable amount of their revenues on purchasing. The supplier selection problem involves conflicting multiple criteria that are tangible and intangible. Hence, the purpose of this study is to propose an integrated model for supplier selection. In order to achieve this purpose, supplier selection problem has been structured as an integrated lexicographic goal programming (LGP) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model including both quantitative and qualitative conflicting factors. The application process has been accomplished in a food company established in Istanbul, Turkey. In this study, the model building, solution and application processes of the proposed integrated model for supplier selection have been presented.

The purpose of this paper is to examine supply chain (SC) innovation for improving organisational performance in the healthcare industry.

A research model is proposed which describes the impact of SC innovation, supplier cooperation, SC efficiency, and quality management (QM) practices on organisational performance. The proposed research model and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling based on data collected from 243 hospitals.

The results of the study support that organisational performance is positively associated with constructs of each SC innovation factor. Innovative design of SC has a significant impact on selection of and cooperation with excellent suppliers, improved SC efficiency, and encouragement of QM practices.

The data used in this study were collected from relatively large hospitals with more than 100 beds in South Korea. The generalization of the study results may be limited by the size of sample hospitals.

This study provides useful planning information in the healthcare industry. The results suggest successful implementation of SC management is attained through continuous SC innovation with supplier cooperation, which in turn improves organisational performance.

This paper reports the results of a three-year-long research on business relationships, relying on qualitative data gathered through multiple-case study research of four focal companies operating in Australia. The industry settings are as follows: steel construction, vegetable oils trading, aluminum and steel can manufacture, and imaging solutions. The research analyzes two main aspects of relationships: structure and process. This paper deals with structure describing it by the most desired features of intercompany relationships for each focal company. The primary research data have been coded drawing on extant research into business relationships. The main outcome of this part of the research is a five construct model composed by trust, commitment, bonds, distance, and information sharing that accounts for all informants’ utterances about relationship structure.

This paper aims to offer a schema for carrying out a comprehensive training needs assessment (TNA) of medical representatives. The schema answers commonly posed questions, the journalistic six.

A sample of 292 medical representatives (trainees) and 60 training/sales managers (trainers) from 32 pharmaceutical organizations of Pakistan was surveyed. The study attempted to answer the why, what, when, and where aspects of TNA by using correlation and two independent samples t‐test. Who‐ and how‐related aspects were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The results reveal that the perspectives of trainers and trainees are fully and partially consistent with each other on competency‐based TNA (why), and TNA inputs and TNA products/outcomes (what) respectively. However, a significant difference is found befallen TNA time‐line (when) and TNA situate (where). The results related to TNA decision makers (who), and TNA mechanisms (how) reveal a range of options.

Reliance on data elicited with one shot can border the issue of generalization. Therefore, to compensate this, the study design is explained in fair detail.

The study identifies the gap between the existing literature on the journalistic six on TNA and the perceptions of the study participants on prevailing practices. To fill this gap, the study offers a framework to the pharmaceutical organizations for conducting a comprehensive TNA of their medical representatives.

The proposed schema reveals a set of six coherent areas to be considered for conducting a comprehensive TNA.

There are three purposes to this article: first, to offer a training approach to employee learning and performance improvement that makes use of a step‐by‐step process of skill/knowledge creation. The process offers follow‐up opportunities for skill maintenance and improvement; second, to explain the conceptual bases of the approach; and third, to demonstrate the efficacy of the approach as it is applied in the field.

The methodology consists of two major features: the explication of how the template approach is applied, in general; and then the performance of two groups of employees is compared following training. One group was trained in the template approach while the other group was trained using more traditional methods. Conventional performance measures were used to assess group differences.

Following training the two employee groups were compared. The hypotheses stated that there would be no differences in performance on these measures: gross sales attained; manager rating of employee performance; and customer satisfaction with regard to sales representative's; product knowledge; helpfulness in the business context; and overall performance. Significant differences were noted for manager rating, product knowledge, and overall performance.

This study was exploratory in nature with a limited range of performance measures. The sample sizes were not large. The use of different pairs of trainers for the sub‐samples helps to dampen trainer bias but helps create differences in training conditions that could influence employee learning and performance.

Study results demonstrate that the training approach has merit and warrants further study. The study depicts how a partnership among trainers, managers, and employees can lead to successful training outcomes.

The training approach has substantial implications for management development regarding learning and change. The template approach adds to the repertoire of training methods. It also helps to reinforce the growing body of research that bases learning and performance improvement on script‐based methods.