Stefanie L. Boyer

Self-Directed Learning A Tool for Lifelong Learning

A meta-analytic review of self-directed learning (SDL) research over 30 years, five countries, and across multiple academic disciplines is used to explore its relationships with five key nomologically related constructs for effective workplace learning. The meta-analysis revealed positive relationships between SDL and internal locus of control, motivation, performance, self-efficacy, and support. The use of an actual SDL project in an undergraduate sales management course and an MBA selling and sales management course is used to provide supporting evidence and practical advice for educators seeking to use SDL to promote lifelong learning skills in students.

Efficient utilisation of customer relationship management (CRM) technology: a self-directed learning approach

The growth of CRM technology has changed the way firms conduct business with customers and prospects. Though CRM creates efficiencies and opportunities in the sales process, sales professionals do not fully utilise CRM technology due to lack of: 1) investment in training; 2) interest in learning a new system; 3) acceptance of new technology. This article discusses why sales professional resist or do not fully utilise CRM technology and explores the insights that self-directed learning (SDL) may provide into facilitating salespeople to fully utilise CRM technology.

The Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Self-Directed Learning in Sales Training

Perceived organizational support has a positive influence on the willingness of salespeople to use self-directed learning (SDL) projects. These SDL projects can be tailored to fit a salespersons distinct learning needs, to increase performance, and to achieve the overarching goals of collaborative members of a marketing channel. Hence, it is beneficial for channel members to create a supportive learning culture that promotes the use of SDL projects by salespeople. Salespeople within the insurance industry play an essential role inside their marketing channel. Data collected from 392 insurance salespeople in over 170 firms is used to empirically test how perceived organizational support influences the use of two types of SDL projects. Salespeople encouraged to use elective SDL projects reported higher levels of performance than those required to use compulsory SDL projects.

Impact of Grit on Organizational Turnover: Empirical Results of International vs. US Gen Z/Millennial Cusp: An Abstract

In today’s global sales environment, managers are posed with the challenge, “How do we retain our top people to stay?” Employee turnover has been an ongoing and perhaps an increasing problem due to the new generation’s inability to deal with adverse conditions in today’s challenging, global environment. The current study’s goal is to analyze the next generation of the workforce, Generation Z/Millennial cusp, and compare differences between international and US students. Born between the mid-1990s and 2000, Gen Z/Millennial potentially introduces a challenge consistent with the millennial generation, organizational turnover. Analyzing responses from 293 international and US students, the following research focuses on a conceptual model that includes two constructs, individual entrepreneurship orientation (IEO) and grit and how those constructs impact company loyalty. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship between IEO and loyalty and that grit positively moderates the relationship between IEO and loyalty. The multigroup analysis shows there was not a significant difference between the international and US student sample in any of the structural paths. However, the results show that the moderating effect of grit is significant for the international sample. In today’s global economy, hiring managers need to evaluate both local and international talent according to their hiring needs. Managers can utilize the findings when considering the importance of grit and entrepreneurial orientation in long-term organizational business performance.

Societal and Organizational Effects of Covert Marketing: A Persuasion Knowledge Model Approach

The purpose of this manuscript is to create a conceptual framework that helps expiam the societal impact of covert marketing when it is disguised as word-of-mouth. The researchers capitalize on anecdotal evidence of covert marketing presented in the popular press, coupled with theory from the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM), to develop a unique conceptual framework that helps explain and predict consumer reactions to covert marketing attempts. Propositions and questions are proposed regarding the consequences covert marketing has on consumers overarching societal norms and values.

Toward the Construction of the Ideal Self: A Sexual Selection Perspective

The purpose of this abstract is to develop a theoretical framework that draws heavily on the notions of evolutionary psychology and sexual selection as a means of providing insight into the forces that govern the construction of the ideal-self. Also, this abstract links how these evolutionary forces, along with the moderating role of self-monitoring, govern decisions pertaining to public consumption.

Perceived Supervisory Support: A Meta-Analytic Review

A meta-analytic review of the perceived supervisory support (PSS) literature was conducting, finding that PSS is positively related to perceived organizational support (POS), job satisfaction and affective commitment and that boundary spanning employees and degree of individualism moderate the relationship between PSS and POS.