Daniel J. Goebel

Understanding sales manager effectiveness: Linking attributes to sales force values

Abstract Although sales managers influence a variety of sales force outcomes critically important in the dynamic business environment of the 21st Century, research examining sales manager effectiveness is limited. As such, an investigation of the attributes of effective sales managers, as well as the impact of these attributes on the sales force, is warranted. To explore these issues, the authors employed value laddering, an in-depth interview technique that facilitates the identification of key attributes and the subsequent linkages of those attributes to consequences and underlying values or goals held by respondents. Data collected from sales professionals resulted in 308 ladders that were subsequently aggregated across subjects and used to generate a hierarchical value map (HVM) reflecting the associations among constructs. The HVM highlights the attributes of effective sales managers, as identified by respondents, and reflects three major sales management roles: communicator, motivator and coach. Each of these roles is explored and managerial and research implications are discussed.

What are the Characteristics of an Effective Sales Manager? an Exploratory Study Comparing Salesperson and Sales Manager Perspectives

This study builds on previous research concerning sales manager selection by examining the characteristics of effective sales managers from two perspectives—that of sales managers and sales representatives. Results of this exploratory study indicate that sales representatives assess the effectiveness of sales managers through the manager’s broad knowledge base along with communication, listening, and human relations skills to develop a role as “supporter” of the sales force. Sales managers, on the other hand, believe that their knowledge base along with effective utilization of communication, listening, human relations, and organization skills allow them to be more of a “participant” in the sales process, thus strengthening their position as an effective sales manager. The implications of this and other findings are discussed in the manuscript.

Activity-Based Costing: Accounting for a Market Orientation

Abstract Market- and customer-oriented activities represent a major resource investment for a firm. Activity-based costing (ABC) provides an enhanced means for marketers to assess the cost-versus-benefits of such activities. This article describes the usefulness of ABC to marketers at various levels of decision making: unit level, product level, channel level, and segment/customer level. Examples are provided to illustrate the potential for improved marketing decision making when ABC is utilized versus traditional accounting systems.

Effective Sales Management: What Do Sales People Think?

Recent research in the sales literature has begun to investigate the traits and performance characteristics of effective sales managers (i.e., Deeter-Schmelz, Goebel and Kennedy 2008; Deeter-Schmelz, Kennedy, and Goebel 2002). Those efforts have attempted to fill a gap in the sales literature related to sales manager effectiveness that is not fully explored by previous research on sales manager job satisfaction (e.g., Kantak, Futrell, and Sager 1992) and the sales manager/salesperson relationship (e.g., Brashear et al. 2003; Castleberry and Tanner 1986; Dubinsky 1999; Martin and Bush 2006). Understanding the salient factors leading to sales manager effectiveness is important because of the vast influence sales managers have on virtually all aspects of the salesperson’s job responsibilities and her/his job outcomes (cf. Brashear et al. 2003; Castleberry and Tanner 1986; Dubinsky 1999; Evans et al. 2002; Guest and Meric 1989; Sager, Yi, and Futrell 1998). In addition, extant research undertaken to investigate sales manager effectiveness by Deeter-Schmelz et al., (2002, 2008) have utilized a research methodology, value-laddering, that can be described as more qualitative in nature and not appropriate for making statistical inferences. The purpose of the current study is to expand this nascent research base by investigating a key set of constructs and relationships that have been linked to sales manager effectiveness. Specifically, drawing from the hierarchical value map derived from salesperson responses in Deeter-Schmelz, Kennedy, and Goebel (2008) this study tests the relationships between salesperson – sales manager communication and important salesperson outcomes.

The mediating effect of supplier oriented purchasing on conflict in inter‐firm relationships

Purpose – The paper has two main purposes: to define and examine supplier oriented purchasing (SOP) as an effective relational exchange practice for organizational buyers and to empirically examine the degree to which supplier oriented purchasing can mediate the impact of manifest conflict on buyer‐supplier relationships.Design/methodology/approach – A model is developed and tested examining the relationship among manifest conflict, relationship satisfaction and SOP. Data collection involved judgment sampling and survey methodology in a field setting using organizational buyers as subjects. Construct measures were based on existing measures and previous research. Measurement reliability and validity were established using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Hypotheses were tested using SEM and accepted methods for testing mediation effects.Findings – All hypotheses were supported concerning SOP mediating the negative impact of manifest conflict on relationship satisfaction. Post hoc analyses of ...