Tom Brashear-Alejandro, Hiram Barksdale, Danny Norton Bellenger, James S. Boles and Channelle James
This paper aims to examine a longitudinal study of mentoring functions and their effect on salesperson attitudes and intentions.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine a longitudinal study of mentoring functions and their effect on salesperson attitudes and intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a multi-year study of salespeople beginning when the salesperson entered the industry being examined.
Findings
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.
Originality/value
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.
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Valter Afonso Vieira, Robert Mayberry, James Boles, Julie Johnson-Busbin and Rita Cassia Pereira
Drawing on Foa and Foa’s elaboration of social exchange theory, the authors propose that buyers reciprocate perceived commitment on the part of the salesperson and supplier with…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on Foa and Foa’s elaboration of social exchange theory, the authors propose that buyers reciprocate perceived commitment on the part of the salesperson and supplier with commitment on their own parts because of strengthening of the relationship’s tacit governance mechanism – cooperative norms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses data from 155 buyers doing business with a multinational supplier. The buyers were from firms generating less than $100,000 in billings. The salesforce of the supplier firm sponsoring the research is responsible for account management and communicating directly with buyers.
Findings
Buyers, who feel that their suppliers are providing a symbolic, long-term, particularistic benefit (commitment), respond with their own strengthened commitment to the relationship; this mutualism is explained entirely by the mediating effect of the relationship’s cooperative norms. Where buyers perceive generally favorable treatment (satisfaction), without these three qualities, their own reciprocal commitment increases directly and cooperative norms play no part. The results also demonstrate the transition of buyer perceptions of the salesperson as they develop into beliefs about the selling firm as a whole.
Practical implications
Drawing on the “reciprocation-in-kind” principle, supplier firms seeking long-term, open-ended commitment from their customers should cultivate it via similarly long-term and open-ended commitments of their own. Attention must be given to the unwritten, often unstated “rules of the road” for business relationships, as these rules represent the mechanism through which investments in long-term, profitable partnerships bear fruit.
Originality/value
The conceptual model draws on and empirically tests Foa and Foa’s framework within social exchange theory to predict what form of buyer reciprocation will result, based on the characteristics of perceived seller-provided benefits. This study illustrates that the tacit governance structure of a B2B relationship – its cooperative norms – plays a critical role in the strength of a buyer’s commitment to its supplier.
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Valter Afonso Vieira, Valter da Silva Faia, James Boles, Bruno Rafael Marioti and Rita Cassia Pereira
The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical model that posits locomotion-assessment ambidextrous orientation as predictor of salesperson acquisition–retention…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a theoretical model that posits locomotion-assessment ambidextrous orientation as predictor of salesperson acquisition–retention ambidexterity, which as a consequence increases sales. The authors drawing on regulatory focus theory and self-regulatory for this propose.
Design/methodology/approach
Salespeople involved in the study represent different firms selling a wide variety of food and household products to a wholesaler, which resells them to supermarket chains. The authors collected data from 231 industrial salespeople.
Findings
First, salesperson assessment focus amplified locomotion’s effect on acquisition–retention ambidexterity. Second, salespeople increased their performance by implementing an acquisition–retention ambidextrous orientation that balances prospecting for new customers and growing existing customers. Third, findings revealed a mediating effect of ambidextrous orientation on the relationship between regulatory mode and sales performance. Finally, outcomes supported the conditional moderated-mediated effect of regulatory mode in explaining performance through ambidextrous orientation.
Practical implications
Results suggest that salespeople need to equalize their dual orientations in a complementary way to elaborate their selling strategies according to each customer. For example, in an unbalanced orientation, putting high levels of assessment into a sales encounter can reduce the effective and efficient use of time in interacting with customers.
Originality/value
The authors further illustrate the importance of using both locomotion and assessment in attaining sales goals (Pierro et al. 2013). This synergistic effect is known as the complementary hypothesis (Pierro et al., 2006a, 2006b). Each dimension complements the other and has a moderated-mediated effect on performance through acquisition–retention ambidexterity.
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Erick T. Byrd, Bonnie Canziani, James S. Boles, Nicholas Carlton Williamson and Sevil Sonmez
The purpose of this study is to examine winery visitors’ use of information sources in making decisions regarding the choice of wineries to visit. Enrichment theory is used as a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine winery visitors’ use of information sources in making decisions regarding the choice of wineries to visit. Enrichment theory is used as a framework for determining how previous experience influences the decision on how much and what type of information individuals will use when planning a trip using wine tourism as the context for the research.
Design/methodology/approach
A visitor study was conducted at 23 wineries in the US Southeast. Data were collected from winery visitors using a structured self-administered questionnaire.
Findings
Results from 832 consumers indicate that an individual’s previous travel systematically influences the number and type of information sources that they will seek out when making future consumer decisions. Findings confirmed the hypothesized expectations about wine tourist information search behavior and help to partially explain the nature of bounded rationality in the case of tourists’ winery visit decisions.
Research limitations/implications
Because the study focused only on winery visitors in the US Southeast, the research results may lack generalizability.
Practical implications
These findings can assist winery owners and destinations with wineries in their promotional efforts. Of major importance is the finding that increases in experiential knowledge from prior travel are monotonically associated with increases in the number of information sources marked to be valuable in selecting a winery. The influence of experience is particularly dramatic in that the mean number of information sources marked to be valuable moves from a low of 2.5 to a high of 10.0 out of 16 as travel experience increases.
Originality/value
The study contributed significant and useful findings that advance the application of enrichment theory to wine tourism. Enrichment theory does not currently differentiate between types of knowledge that enrich a consumer’s ability to more easily encode and use new information. The current study confirms that experiential knowledge is an important knowledge construct in models of bounded rationality.
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W. Gary Howard, Heather Howard Donofrio and James S. Boles
This research investigates the relationship between inter‐domain conflict in the form of work‐family conflict and family‐work conflict with various facets of employee job…
Abstract
This research investigates the relationship between inter‐domain conflict in the form of work‐family conflict and family‐work conflict with various facets of employee job satisfaction. The study was conducted among police personnel (n = 119) in a large southeastern state. Results indicate that work‐family conflict is significantly related to satisfaction with job in general, pay, supervision, promotion, work, and co‐workers. Family‐work conflict is not as consistently related to the facets of job satisfaction. In general, as expected, conflict between work‐family is more closely related to employee job satisfaction than conflict between family‐work. Managerial implications are included as well as directions for future theoretical research.
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James Boles, Ramana Madupalli, Brian Rutherford and John Andy Wood
This paper aims to examines the relationships between various facets of salesperson job satisfaction as assessed by the INDSALES measure and salesperson organizational commitment…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examines the relationships between various facets of salesperson job satisfaction as assessed by the INDSALES measure and salesperson organizational commitment. The paper also seeks to explore salesperson gender as a moderator of the relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses survey research of one firm's business‐to‐business salespeople to examine the relationships between facets of salesperson job satisfaction and salesperson organizational commitment.
Findings
Study results indicate that various facets of job satisfaction are more strongly related to organizational commitment. Findings also indicate that these relationships are not the same for male and female salespeople.
Practical implications
Findings demonstrate to sales managers that not all types of satisfaction are related to organizational commitment, which has been strongly linked to a salesperson's propensity to leave an organization. Further, various facets of satisfaction such as pay and promotion are more important to men than to women. Women find that satisfaction with co‐workers is more closely related to organizational commitment than it is for men. These findings have significant relevance to sales managers.
Originality/value
The relationship between facets of job satisfaction and organizational commitment has not been extensively researched. This is true even though these are two very important issues when dealing with sales force management. Likewise, the issue of men and women valuing different types of satisfaction to varying degrees has not been thoroughly examined in the business‐to‐business sales force literature.
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G. Alexander Hamwi, Brian N. Rutherford and James S. Boles
The purpose of this study is to explore stressors that may influence salespersons' emotional exhaustion and their perception of organizational support.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore stressors that may influence salespersons' emotional exhaustion and their perception of organizational support.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modeling is used to assess: the effects of role conflict and work‐family conflict on emotional exhaustion; role conflict and role ambiguity's effects on perceived organizational support; and whether perceived organization support is directly or indirectly linked to emotional exhaustion.
Findings
Findings from the study suggest that work‐family conflict and role conflict both significantly affect emotional exhaustion. Work‐family conflict also was found to impact on the relationship between perceived organizational support and emotional exhaustion. Finally, role conflict and role ambiguity were found to have a negative impact on perceived organizational support.
Originality/value
This study provides a foundation for reducing salespersons' emotional exhaustion and provides a method of increasing a salesforce's perception of organizational support.
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James Boles, Wesley Johnston and Alston Gardner
Examines possible reasons behind the current rapid growth of national accounts. In particular, it examines how relationship marketing/selling has increased the need for national…
Abstract
Examines possible reasons behind the current rapid growth of national accounts. In particular, it examines how relationship marketing/selling has increased the need for national account programs. The article first provides a review of the national account management literature. Then, findings from the study of national accounts are presented. It provides details concerning how suppliers select customers for national account status. Results suggest that there is considerable overlap among firms in how they select and organize national account management teams. Implications for marketing management are provided and areas for future research are detailed.
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John Andy Wood, Julie Johnson, James S. Boles and Hiram Barksdale
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…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Originality/value
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.
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James S. Boles, Hiram C. Barksdale and Julie T. Johnson
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…
Abstract
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.