Füsun Altıntas, Feride Bahar Kurtulmusoglu, Murat Hakan Altintas, Hans-Rudiger Kaufmann and Sanem Alkibay
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive model of the relationship between control and sales performance contingent upon the commitment and adaptive selling…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive model of the relationship between control and sales performance contingent upon the commitment and adaptive selling variables. Specifically, the study tests the mediator effects of adaptive selling and organizational commitment on the effect of managerial control systems on self-assessed performance of the salespeople working in the field of industrial marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 472 firms active in the industrial marketing field for tangible industry products in Turkey were selected for the research. The proposed model that tested posits relationships among management control variables and adaptive selling, organizational commitment and sales performance measures. Management controls are related to sales performance through the mediating effect of adaptive selling and organizational commitment. Management control styles (output as formal and professional as informal) were the independent variables, while changes in organizational commitment and adaptive selling were tested both as mediators and sales performance as dependent variable, consistent with the reciprocal effects model under analysis.
Findings
The findings demonstrated that “control” is positively associated with “sales performance” and “commitment” and “adaptive selling” mediate this relationship. Findings indicate that control impacts sales performance through a mediating mechanism that involves adaptive selling and commitment. Taken together, results showed that adaptive selling and commitment played a critical role in sales performance.
Originality/value
This research is the first to empirically analyse the model regarding the relationship between sales performance, control, adaptive selling and commitment variables.
Details
Keywords
F. Bahar Isin and Sanem Alkibay
This study aims to investigate the influence of preschool children at ages 5 to 6 on purchasing decisions among well‐to‐do families and its relation with such factors as number of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the influence of preschool children at ages 5 to 6 on purchasing decisions among well‐to‐do families and its relation with such factors as number of children, product related criteria (low risk, high risk, used by whole family, used by children) and mother's employment status.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative analysis was conducted on data from 257 responses to a 26‐item questionnaire from parents of children in 12 private kindergartens in Ankara, Turkey.
Findings
Most parents acknowledge that their children do influence their purchasing decisions. Findings also revealed that mother's employment status, child's gender and the number of children in the family are the determining factors for the children's influence on the decision of the family to purchase certain product types.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study and has limited generalizability as it was conducted solely in one city, Ankara, Turkey. Any further research should contrast perspectives both from other cities in Turkey and other countries.
Practical implications
It is suggested that products for which the child exerts least influence on the purchasing decision of the family are those which carry high purchasing risk and used by the whole family, whereas the greatest influence of the child on the purchasing decision of the family lies on the products with low risk and used by the whole family.
Originality/value
Turkey, is located between Europe and Asia and shares mostly collectivist values. The findings contribute to the understanding of children's influence on family purchasing decisions in this country and provide an opportunity to conduct cross‐national studies. Further, the paper provides insight for marketers about which product advertising is effective on children.