Charles B. Ragland

Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Sustainability Education in AACSB Undergraduate and Graduate Marketing Curricula: A Benchmark Study

AACSB International advocates integration of ethics, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability in all business school disciplines. This study provides an overview of the implementation of these three topics in teaching initiatives and assessment in business schools accredited by AACSB International. Since no comprehensive studies have been conducted for the marketing area, the results provide benchmarks as well as thought-provoking material to initiate business school and marketing faculty discussions on integrating the three topics into their curricula.

The Proactive Behavior of Younger Salespeople: Antecedents and Outcomes

The purpose of this study is to model and test some of the antecedents (individual characteristics) and outcomes (selling performance) of proactive behavior among younger salespeople. Using social cognitive theory agency perspective, we extend the existing proactive behavior literature into the sales domain. We sampled 278 industrial salespeople and tested a model to confirm that younger salespeople tend to engage in proactive behaviors when they are intrinsically motivated, confident in the tasks of selling, and willing to take risks. Proactive behavior, in turn, resulted in our salesperson sample demonstrating high levels of behavior performance and job involvement. Our findings may help sales channel managers begin to assess the potential role of proactive salespeople within their sales organization. Understanding that proactivity (both directly and indirectly) impacts selling performance, managers might specifically attempt to identify salesperson proactive behavior characteristics during the interview process.

Institutional theory and international market selection for direct selling

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use a theoretical framework (institutional theory) to predict international market selection (IMS) for the direct selling industry. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use independent variables taken from institutional theory to predict IMS for the direct selling industry, allowing the authors to show the relationship between institutional theory – defined independent variables and the relative attractiveness of international markets. The model is applied to a broad sample of 51 developed and emerging nations that comprise 91 percent of worldwide GDP. Findings – The authors found that the hypotheses were confirmed. Institutional theory – defined independent variables did a good job of predicting the relative attractiveness of international markets. Research limitations/implications – The authors used cross sectional country level data to validate their model. One major implication: institutional theory appears to do an excellent job of predicting IMS in cont...

A factor endowment approach to international market selection

Previous research on international market selection (IMS) typically is a-theoretical in nature and primarily focuses on a few, mostly developed countries. Here, we address both issues by (1) using factor endowment theory to predict IMS choices for the direct selling industry and (2) for a sample that includes 51 developed and developing countries representing 91% of total global GDP. Results indicate that the direct selling industry thrives in international markets with greater income inequality, greater female income inequality, less financial freedom, and access to the Internet. Implications of our study are discussed.

A Factor Endowment Approach to International Market Selection for Direct Selling

In an effort to advance the International Market Selection (IMS) literature, we draw on factor endowments theory, a well-established theory from the economics and international trade literature, to examine how direct selling businesses choose countries for global expansion.

Power-Base Effects on Salesperson Motivation and Performance: A Contingency View

ABSTRACT Purpose: The sales literature shows that motivation is a key determinant of salesperson performance. The literature also suggests that how managers use social power will have an effect on important organizational outcomes, including salesperson performance. This study examines the five bases of social power that sales managers use (reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert) as moderating influences in the salesperson motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic)—salesperson performance linkage. Methodology/approach: Data was collected from 128 salespeople using a cross industry survey. Eight hypotheses were developed and tested using SmartPLS (partial least squares). Findings: The authors found support for five of eight hypotheses. Results and significant findings suggest that sales managers can impact sales performance in extrinsically motivated salespeople by using coercive and legitimate power. For intrinsically motivated salespeople, sales managers can impact sales performance by using coercive, legitimate, and referent power. Research implications: Related to social power theory, the study suggests that salesperson performance is dependent upon a salesperson’s combined motivation orientation and the base of power used by the sales manager. The study also sets the stage for subsequent research on how managerial power can be studied as a moderator for other personal salesperson characteristics (e.g., self-esteem, self-efficacy, locus of control) and salesperson performance. In addition, understanding how these other personal characteristics interact with managerial bases of power to produce other organizational outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction, organizational commitment) are questions that sales researchers may wish to pursue via further study. Practical implications: For practicing sales managers, the research study can provide guidance as to how they may tailor their use of power to best impact salesperson performance. For a manager to understand the motivational makeup of each salesperson, open communication and dialogue must occur at the onset of their relationship. Having the knowledge of what drives each salesperson, a manager can modify their leadership style (and choice of power base) to suit the situation. Customizing these sales management approaches may also have long-term benefits for the organization as studies show that doing so can lead to reduced levels of turnover as well as increased levels of performance. Contribution of the article: This study is important to sales research, theory, and practice. The authors contribute to the selling and sales management literature by extending motivation and social power theories into the sales domain by showing that managerial power may be a key moderating determinant between a salesperson’s motivation and his/her sales performance. For practicing sales managers, we provide some insight and guidance for understanding how to throttle or moderate their use of various social power bases when dealing with individual salespeople who may differ in their motivation orientation, age, and degree of selling experience.

Entertainment Orientation and Salesperson Relationship Performance

Many sales organizations invest in “relationship-building activities” by allocating a portion of their budget to socially engage current customers and future prospects. In their boundary-spanning role, salespeople are responsible for developing and managing relationships with customer buying centers and internal cross-functional support teams. The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of entertainment in the sales process. Utilizing social exchange theory and relationship marketing as theoretical foundations, we introduce and develop the conceptual entertainment orientation model. We examine the current role of entertainment in developing and managing sales relationships with internal and external customers. The results confirm that relationship-building activities in the form of entertainment are perceived to play an important role in both external sales with customers and internal relationships with co-workers. The results also reveal that entertainment and internal bonding are viewed as positive influences on firm performance. The findings provide an improved understanding of the current role and importance of entertainment by sales professionals.

Managerial Power-Base Effects on Sales Person Intrinsic Motivation and Performance: A Conservation of Resources View

Our research used conservation of resources (COR) as a theoretical lens to explore the relationships between managerial bases of power (reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert) as objects and energy resources, sales person intrinsic motivation as a personal characteristic resource, and sales performance as a conditions resource. Conservation of resources (COR) as an underlying framework (Hobfall 1989) is a useful application here in that it is a general motivation theory that has applications to exchange based relationships found in the organizational setting.

Host Country Institutional Factors as Determinants of Direct Selling Industry Success

Direct selling firms must consider international expansion for long term survival (Franco 2010). The international direct selling industry is

Preliminary Investigation of Entertainment Strategies Involving Alcohol: Implications for Professional Sales Education and Training in Business Markets

114 billion in sales with 62.7 million salespeople. Direct selling has been described as a self-employed, entrepreneurial activity that leverages network forms of social capital through membership in social structures in a person to person selling environment.