Michael T. Krush

Understanding the mechanism linking interpersonal traits to pro‐social behaviors among salespeople: lessons from India

Purpose – Factors such as globalization and market size have made India a major consideration for multinational firms and their salespeople. Despite the appeal of the market, the majority of theories and empirical studies of sales have been based on Western thought and within a Western context. This study seeks to address the issue of what interpersonal traits impel outcomes and behaviors of Indian salespeople.Design/methodology/approach – A model was tested using survey data collected from salespeople and their respective sales managers within a print media company located in India. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – The results suggest an interesting interplay between interpersonal traits and pro‐social sales behaviors. Empathy proneness was positively related to helping behaviors targeted at other salespeople, while guilt proneness was positively associated with behaviors targeted at customers.Practical implications – The research suggests that a salespersons capaci...

Salesperson empathy, ethical behaviors, and sales performance: the moderating role of trust in one's manager

Within the domain of sales ethics, researchers are increasingly challenged to adopt a focus on the emotional elements of sales and ethics. However, previous research has primarily examined the more rational, deterministic element of sales, and ethics-based relationships. The current research addresses this issue. We develop a model based on the person–situation interaction viewpoint of ethics. Specifically, we explore the effects of a key social emotion, empathy, as well as an important situational aspect, trust in ones sales manager, on ethical behaviors. Further, we examine the moderating role of the salespersons trust in his/her manager on the link between empathy and ethical behaviors. In addition, we examine the impact of the salespersons ethical behaviors on his/her performance. Using dyadic data collected from salespeople and their respective managers, we test the model through SEM analysis. Results support the direct effects of empathy on ethical behaviors and also highlight the interactive effects of trust and empathy on ethical behaviors.

Salesperson ambidexterity and customer satisfaction: examining the role of customer demandingness, adaptive selling, and role conflict

This research investigates the effects of sales-service ambidexterity on salesperson role perceptions, behaviors, and customer satisfaction. Using a business-to-business, salesperson-customer sample, we build and test a model which highlights both the positive and negative consequences of this simultaneous goal pursuit. Specifically, while sales-service ambidexterity positively impacts adaptive selling behaviors, it also increases perceptions of role conflict among salespeople. Customer demandingness moderates these relationships. Taken together, the results provide insights for firms on how to manage their sales force to optimize both sales and service outcomes based on characteristics of their salespeople and customers.

Effects of relational proclivity and marketing intelligence on new product development

Purpose – A number of studies in the marketing and strategy literature show that a firms resource endowment is a major driver in the formation of advantage-generating capabilities. Some researchers have suggested, however, that capabilities are path dependent and that a firms behavioral predispositions and proclivities should be viewed as antecedents to capability formation. The purpose of this paper is to examine how a firms behavioral tendencies, along with its existing business resources, contribute to the formation of new product development (NPD) capability. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses are tested by using survey data from more than 150 US-based firms. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the proposed model and analyze hypothesized relationships. Findings – Results of the paper suggest that a firms competency in marketing intelligence and its tendency to engage in partner-style relationships have both direct and interactive effects on NPD capability. This capability is fu...

A contingency model of marketing dashboards and their influence on marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the value of marketing dashboards, a key area of interest for scholars and practitioners. This study examines two critical outcomes of marketing dashboards: marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability. Additionally, the research analyzes the impact of the firm’s internal structure on the relationship between marketing dashboards and the outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model grounded in the knowledge-based view of the firm is tested. The research uses survey data collected from marketing professionals employed within business-to-business firms. Data from the key informants are analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results demonstrate that marketing dashboards are significantly related to marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability. Centralization exhibits a negative moderating effect, and formalization exhibits a positive moderating effect on the relationship between marketing dashboards and marketing strategy implementation speed. Marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability are related to market performance. Originality/value Through the examination of main and moderating relationships, this paper demonstrates that marketing strategy implementation speed and market information management capability are key integration mechanisms that leverage the marketing dashboard resources.

Networking Behavior and Sales Performance: Examining Potential Gender Differences

Although networking is generally believed to be important in sales, relatively little research has addressed the benefits of networking. The research reported here specifically examines potential differences in the benefits of networking for male and female salespeople. The results show that different forms of networking are related to sales performance, but that the impacts are different for men and women. Men benefit more from customer networking, while women benefit more from professional networking.

A Motley Pattern Of Sales-marketing Integration

Sales and marketing departments play a crucial role in revenue generation in business organizations. Given the interdependent nature of the strategic processes such as value creation, communication, and delivery that these functions are involved in, it is imperative for a firm’s success that the sales-marketing interface (henceforth interface) function smoothly. There has been a surge in literature on this interface recently and early work in this area suggests that in a large number of companies, these two functions share sub-optimal relationship (Carpenter 1992; Kotler, Rackham, and Krishnaswamy, 2006; Montgomery and Webster 1997).

Strategic Importance of Marketing Planning Capability: A Perspective from Saudi Arabia

Marketing planning is an important capability in that it helps firms to methodically organize the processes needed to develop marketing strategy and direct marketing activities (Lee et al. 2013). Slotegraff and Dickson (2004) consider marketing planning as an essential strategic routine that “can cultivate an organizational capability through the integration, combination, and reconfiguration of a firm’s resources” (p. 371). The stronger the marketing planning capability, the more the firm exhibits all-encompassing approach to strategic planning. We draw on this assertion to suggest that firms with stronger marketing planning capability are likely to develop marketing ambidexterity—namely the ability to improvise marketing strategies as well as the ability develop comprehensive marketing strategies (Slotegraaf and Dickson 2004).

What Marketing Strategy Matters? Examining a Contingency Model of the Relationship Between Marketing Performance Management and Business Unit Performance

A firm’s ability to understand the effects of its marketing resource deployments continues to be a major focus of organizations. In order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of marketing implementation, the ability to measure and track activities is vital. Marketing performance measurement systems provide the marketing function with the capability to measure the impact across a variety of marketing activities and to evaluate the performance of marketing activities vis a vis an ample set of metrics (O’Sullivan & Abela, 2007).