C. David Shepherd

Entrepreneurial burnout: exploring antecedents, dimensions and outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptually and empirically explore the antecedents and consequences of entrepreneurial burnout – that is burnout related to the process of discovery or creation of attractive economic opportunities, the assessment of these opportunities, and the decision on the exploitation of opportunities.Design/methodology/approach – This study is a survey of entrepreneurs in New Zealand who were alumni of a university sponsored executive development course for owner‐managers of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises.Findings – It is found that role stress is positively related to burnout and that burnout has a negative impact on organizational commitment, organizational satisfaction, and relative perceived firm performance. In addition, implications for entrepreneurs are offered with the objective of providing suggestions to mediate the negative consequences of entrepreneurial burnout.Research limitations/implications – The present study is limited by culture – the sample was d...

To Be or Not to Be: That Isn't the Question! An Empirical Look at Online versus Traditional Brick-and-Mortar Courses at the University Level

The focal point of the study was the empirical investigation of student perceptions of and attitudes toward online education at the university level. Over 800 student participants completed a questionnaire designed to assess student self-ratings of their own experiences with online courses and to provide a broader view of students perceptions of such courses. Questionnaire items were derived from the relevant literature and focused on the areas of online versus traditional course formats, the impact of online courses on group projects, quality of instruction, and student preferences regarding online course offerings. Managerial implications are presented and avenues for future research discussed.

An Exploratory Investigation of the Periodic Performance Evaluation Processes for Marketing Faculty: A Comparison of Doctoral-Granting and Non-Doctoral-Granting Universities.

Whether a first entrant into the academic job market or a seasoned professional, career outcomes for marketing educators depend heavily on the evaluation process used at their institutions. This research explores the periodic performance evaluation process for marketing faculty members using data collected from a national sample of marketing department chairpersons. Several aspects of the evaluation and its potential outcomes are explored, including teaching and research expectations. The results indicate that regular and frequent performance evaluations are a routine part of life for marketing faculty, whatever their institutional affiliation. Furthermore, these evaluations tend to play a role in promotion, tenure, compensation, and retention decisions. Several interesting conclusions emerge when the results from doctoral-granting and non-doctoral-granting universities are compared, including that doctoral-granting universities tend to have a more restrictive view of what constitutes acceptable research. Additionally, teaching and service were found to play a more important role in the tenure decision at non-doctoral-granting universities, whereas research was found to play a larger role at doctoral-granting universities. These and other results offer a unique look at the policies and procedures used in the periodic performance evaluation of marketing faculty members.

Sales manager training practices in small and large firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine practices of and differences between small and large organizations as they relate to the training of sales managers. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing a survey approach, data were collected from a sample of sales managers and trainers employed by firms across the USA. Analysis was conducted between “small” and “large” organizations based on sales force size. Findings – While many similarities do exist between small and large firms sales manager training practices, some significant differences also exist in terms of teaching approaches, types of instructors, training locations, methods, and content utilized. Results of the current study exhibit both similarities and differences as compared to results of sales manager training practices found in earlier studies. Research limitations/implications – The study was based on a sample of sales managers and trainers employed by firms within the USA. Sales manager training practices could differ due to cultural differences, the industry the firm competes in, and other factors. Practical implications – First, sales manager training activities show more similarities than differences between small and large firms. Second, internet-based training methods are becoming prevalent in large firms while still struggling for acceptance in smaller ones. Third, no one type of instructor is viewed as being highly effective in either small or large firms. Fourth, senior management must support and encourage positive behavioral changes associated with sales manager training or else efforts will fail. Originality/value – The current study answers the call for research to identify contemporary sales manager training practices, building upon results of previous studies. Classification-JEL: R00, Z0

Collegiality in Business Schools: Development of a Collegiality Measure and Evaluations of its Implications.

Purpose – While collegiality is often discussed and touted as a critical aspect of academia, there is little research that empirically examines collegiality in university business schools. One cause of the paucity of research is the lack of a reliable scale to measure collegiality (Sabharwal, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale that measures collegiality at the departmental level for university faculty, and then uses it to understand the implications of collegiality within an academic department within a business school. Design/methodology/approach – The present study uses a scale development process consisting of: defining the domain of the construct; item generation; and psychometric assessment of the scale’s reliability and validity. Items were adapted for a university business school context from Shah (2011) and Seigel and Miner-Rubino (2009). The scale was administrated using a convenience non-random sample design drawn from active marketing and entrepreneurship academics who subsc...

A comparative assessment of win-win and win-lose negotiation strategy use on supply chain relational outcomes

The purpose of this paper is to study the relational impact of using win-win or win-lose negotiation strategies within different types of buyer-supplier relationships.,A multi-method approach is used. Qualitative interviews with supply chain managers reveal that relationship-specific assets and cooperation are important relational factors in buyer-supplier negotiations. Framing interview insights within the social exchange theory (SET), hypotheses are tested using a scenario-based behavioral experiment.,Experimental results suggest that win-lose negotiators decrease their negotiating partner’s commitment of relationship-specific assets and levels of cooperation. In addition, the use of a win-lose negotiation strategy reduces levels of relationship-specific assets and cooperation more in highly interdependent buyer-supplier relationships than relationships that are not as close.,Buyer-supplier relationships are complex interactions. Negotiation strategy choice decisions can have long-term effects on the overall relationship. As demonstrated in this study, previous research focusing on one side “winning” a negotiation as a measure of success has oversimplified this complex phenomenon.,The use of a win-lose negotiation strategy can have a negative impact on relational outcomes like cooperation and relationship-specific assets. For companies interested in developing strong supply chain relationships, buyer and suppliers should choose their negotiation strategy carefully as the relational impact extends beyond the single negotiation encounter.,Previous research predominantly advocates for the use of a win-win negotiation strategy within interdependent relationships. This research offers evidence that the use of a win-lose strategy does have a long-term relational impact.

Self-Efficacy and Salesperson Job Involvement as Mediators of the Emotional Intelligence – Creativity Relationship

Creative performance is needed in the sales profession as individual and organizational success depends on supplying innovative and useful solutions for their customers (Chonko and Jones 2005; Lassk and Shepherd forthcoming). Recognizing its important role, creativity is often listed as an essential characteristic of successful salespeople and sales managers (for example, Dubinsky and Ingram 1983; Weitz, Castleberry and Tanner 2009). Emerging research has shown that a leader’s emotional intelligence positively supports field members’ creative performance (Rego et al. 2007; Zhou and George 2003). Using a sample of 460 field members, this study extends this research by exploring how a field member’s perception of their immediate business leader’s emotional intelligence impacts his/her creativity and key individual variables, self-efficacy and job involvement.