Artur Baldauf

Sales management control research: Synthesis and an agenda for future research

Management control in sales and marketing has received substantial attention by researchers during the past decade, demonstrating the importance of the topic for researchers and managers. Research initiatives concerning management control have differed in terms of conceptualization of the control construct and the construct’s antecedents and consequences. Synthesizing the various management control research initiatives is essential in guiding the development of an agenda for future research. We address several crucial managerial and research questions concerning consensus in the conceptualization of sales management control, identify relevant antecedents to control strategy choices, and consider the extent to which management control strategy choices affect salesperson, sales manager, and organizational consequences. We synthesize for the first time in this research stream the key findings of the main studies conducted to date to clarify consistency and inconsistency for both managers and researchers. Guided by the synthesis findings, a research agenda is proposed that is intended to address differences in conceptualization of management control, inconsistencies in research findings, and opportunities to expand the existing knowledge base.

The effect of moderators on the salesperson behavior performance and salesperson outcome performance and sales organization effectiveness relationships

Salesperson behavior performance is conceptualized as a predictor of outcome performance and sales organization effectiveness. The research considers the effects of salesperson capabilities, industrial/consumer products, and industry growth moderators on salesperson performance and sales organization effectiveness relationships. Empirical analyses are conducted using data from a sample of 174 field sales managers in Austrian sales organizations. The results of moderator regression analyses indicate that salesperson capabilities, product type, and industry growth are relevant moderators. The roles of the moderators vary across the relationships analyzed. Several management and research implications are examined.

Improving the Effectiveness of Field Sales Organizations: A European Perspective

Abstract For companies competing in rapidly changing business environments, the sales force can be an important source for improving organizational effectiveness. The results of a study of 159 field sales managers in 79 Austrian companies point to higher effectiveness in organizations utilizing sales management directing and evaluating activities to a greater sales extent than managers in less effective organizations. Moreover, the effective sales organizations place more emphasis on their sales territory design, and, additionally, their sales forces show significant differences in both personal characteristics and performance dimensions. Salespeople in the more effective sales units display higher levels of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, sales support orientation, and customer orientation. Both salesperson behavior and outcome performance were rated higher by managers in the organizations with more effective sales units.

Examining the consequences of sales management control strategies in European field sales organizations

The effective management of sales organizations is important to managers of international marketing operations spanning multiple countries, but also to managers of local operations who may question the validity of many of the prescriptions of US‐based research. Studies sales management control in companies in Austria and the UK to contribute a European perspective on behaviour‐based control compared to outcome‐based control. Focuses on the pivotal role of the field sales manager compared to prior research at the salesperson and chief sales executive levels. Confirms the robustness of the behaviour‐based control in these international contexts, and also contributes a number of new insights to the general sales management control research literature. Identifies a number of important research directions in this important area, as well as implications for managers of international selling organizations.

Management framework guiding strategic thinking in rapidly changing markets

Developing a management framework to guide strategic thinking in changing markets is increasingly critical for researchers and executives in coping with the complex and rapidly changing global business environment. Conventional training and practices have too often led strategy researchers and executives to assume a stable competitive box around existing businesses, not recognising the effects of radical and increasingly disruptive change on markets and competitive space. New strategic thinking logic and initiatives require a conceptual framework to guide obtaining information, perceptive interpretation of strategic issues and trends, and choice of the right strategic initiatives. The conceptualisation begins by determining the market-based strategic capabilities needed to identify the nature and scope of determinants of market changes. These changes must be identified, driven by new competition, new business models, and creativity and innovation. Understanding fast changing markets requires identifying new market space, conducting strategic segmentation analysis, and determining customer value requirements. Finally, this knowledge guides strategic vision and formulation and implementation of market-driven strategies for changing markets. The framework is based on conceptual logic and empirical findings from multiple disciplines including marketing strategy and strategic management

Untersuchung eines neuartigen shop-konzeptes mittels kundenlaufstudie

In den westlichen Industrieländern ist die strategische Ausgangssituation im Einzelhandel durch gesättigte Märkte und eine zunehmende Austauschbarkeit der Betriebsformen gekennzeichnet. Der damit verbundenesteigendeWettbewerbsdruckführt zu immer höheren Anforderungen an den Verkaufsraum, um sich von der Konkurrenz abzuheben. Die „Verpackung des Produkts Einzelhandel“ muß dabei nicht nur den zweckorientierten Bedürfnissen der Konsumenten (leichtes Auffinden und gute Erreichbarkeit der Ware), sondern auch deren zunehmenden Wünschen nach Unterhaltung und Erlebnis gerecht werden. Ein österreichisches Einzelhandelsunternehmen hat versucht, mit einem neuartigen Konzept den „etwas anderen“ Weg der Ladengestaltung zu beschreiten. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Erkenntnisse einer Kundenlaufstudie in diesem neuartigen Store vorgestellt und den in der einschlägigen Literatur enthaltenen theoretischen Konzepten gegenübergestellt.

Examining the interaction of marketing and financing decisions in a dynamic environment Die Analyse der Beziehungen von Marketing- und Finanzierungsentscheidungen in einem dynamischen Umfeld

Abstract. The market success of a new product critically depends on the marketing strategy that is adopted during the introductory phase of its life cycle. The decision theoretic marketing literature provides useful insights to this problem through the application of new product diffusion models. While most of the diffusion models incorporate only marketing variables such as price or advertising into the adoption rates of the new product, we introduce the issue of financial decision making and argue that the success of a new product not only depends on an optimal marketing mix strategy but also on the financial decisions of a firm. We adopt a simple diffusion model and show that in case with demand uncertainty and limited liability more leverage (a higher debt equity ratio) causes the firm to be more aggressive in the product market, i.e., to reduce the price of the product. Our findings suggest that marketing decisions should not be taken in isolation but should be coordinated with financial variables.Zusammenfassung. Der Markterfolg eines neuen Produktes hängt in besonderem Maße von der Marketingstrategie ab, die in der Einführungsphase seines Produktlebenszyklus verfolgt wird. In der entscheidungsorientierten Marketingliteratur wird diese Problemstellung u.a. im Zusammenhang mit der Anwendung von Diffusionsmodellen diskutiert. Während die meisten Diffusionsansätze zur Modellierung der Adoptionsraten des Neuproduktes lediglich Marketingvariablen wie Preis oder Werbung heranziehen, argumentieren wir, dass der Erfolg eines Neuproduktes nicht nur von einer optimalen Marketing-Mix-Strategie, sondern auch von den Finanzierungsentscheidungen einer Firma abhängt. Wir zeigen anhand eines einfachen Diffusionsmodells auf, dass eine größere Verschuldung im Falle unsicherer Nachfrage und beschränkter Haftung die Unternehmung zu einem aggressiverem Auftreten auf dem Markt veranlasst, d.h. den Preis des Produktes zu senken. Unsere Ergebnisse implizieren, dass Marketingentscheidungen nicht isoliert, sondern in Verbindung mit finanziellen Variablen getroffen werden sollten.