by Kwok Yiu Keung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-109). / ACKNOWLEDGMENTS --- p.i / ABSTRACT --- p.iii / LISTS OF FIGURES --- p.vii / LISTS OF TABLES --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.3 / Need for and Relevance of Research on Proposed Topic --- p.3 / Significance of this Research --- p.3 / Different Views of Sales Performance --- p.4 / Situation Approach --- p.5 / Attitudinal Approach --- p.6 / Modeled Instruction Approach --- p.7 / Antecedents and Consequences of Salesperson's Sales Performance --- p.8 / Antecedents of Sales Performance --- p.9 / Consequences of Sales Performance --- p.13 / Antecedents and Consequences of Sales Performance --- p.23 / Summary --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- THE PROPOSED MODEL AND RESEARCH HYPOTHESES --- p.27 / A Model of Sales Performance of Salesperson --- p.27 / Conceptualization and Hypotheses --- p.30 / Summary --- p.38 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.39 / Measurement Scales --- p.39 / Data Collection --- p.41 / Reliability --- p.43 / Analysis of the Model --- p.45 / Structural Equation Modeling --- p.45 / The Measurement Model --- p.45 / Model Notations --- p.49 / Summary --- p.50 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- RESULTS FROM THE ANALYSIS --- p.51 / Scale Analysis --- p.51 / Reliability --- p.56 / Structural Equation Modeling --- p.57 / Full Model Evaluation --- p.57 / Reduced Model Evaluation --- p.59 / Summary --- p.65 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION --- p.66 / Major Findings --- p.66 / Sales Performance and Its Antecedents --- p.66 / Sales Performance and Its Consequences --- p.68 / Contributions of the Research --- p.69 / Conceptual Contribution --- p.69 / Managerial Contribution --- p.69 / Limitations --- p.75 / Directions for Future Research --- p.75 / Extension of the Conceptual Model --- p.75 / Sample Quality --- p.76 / Methodology and Measurement --- p.77 / APPENDIX 1: Cross Cultural Translation --- p.78 / APPENDIX 2: English and Chinese Versions of Questionnaire --- p.86 / APPENDIX 3: Companies Participated in the Survey --- p.100 / APPENDIX 4: Description of Sample --- p.101 / REFERENCES --- p.102

D.Comm. / The market orientation construct describes the behaviours and activities necessary for an organisation to become market oriented - in other words reflect its adoption of the marketing concept. In this study an organisation's perceived level of market orientation was determined using salespeople to assess the extent to which their organisations exhibited market oriented behaviours. The results obtained revealed that on the whole salespeople tend to see their organisation as having above average levels of market orientation. Market oriented organisations provide salespeople with a support system that enable them to provide their customers with optimal satisfaction since everyone in the organisation is focused on this objective. Salespeople operating in market oriented organisations will tend to experience less role stress than those salespeople operating in organisations with lower levels of market orientation. Salespeople with certain personality traits are better able to cope with role stress and therefore these individuals would probably be found in organisations with low levels of market orientation. In this study the personality trait profiles of salespeople working for organisations with different perceived levels of market orientation were determined and the results obtained were correlated with their perceptions of their organisations level of market orientation. The results obtained revealed that there was a correlation between two of the salesperson's personality traits namely, gregarious and energies and their organisation's perceived level of market orientation. The personality dimensions measured in this study were also used to develop a model whereby one could predict 68% ofthe overall respondents correctly in terms of their customer or competitor orientations. Two factors namely apprehensive and conservative, with a negative loading entered into the model in this order, would enable one to predict the salesperson's dominant orientation.

M.Com. (Sales Management) / This study emphasizes that the sales effort is linked to the sales opportunities in the most profitable way. To make this possible, the sales potential of a sales area must first be analysed scientifically. Only then can the allocation of sales personnel to a sales area be made in the best possible way. The consumer, rather than the sales area, is the starting-point. In other words, the emphasis is on the satisfaction of needs in the sales area. The role of sales potential and forecasting in sales quota allotment is also analysed, since these contribute to the most effective allocation of sales personnel to the sales area. Optimum allocation of sales personnel to the sales area takes place, based on information from the sales area (market needs).

Sales management researchers apply various leadership measures and theories taken from conventional work-group settings. These applications may be questionable given the unique boundary-spanning context in which the field sales force must operate. This study raises the questions and offers an approach which may be more appropriate. Specifically, this study questions the assumption that the manager acts and the salesperson reacts, and the focus of sales management studies which study managerial behavior in isolation from those of the salesperson he or she is supervising. The Leader-member Exchange theory (and the basis for this theory, social exchange) is offered as an approach which may be more consistent with the work-setting and obstacles faced by the field sales manager. This study offers a conceptual model of salesperson-manager relationships as a guide to explaining effective leadership in the field sales setting. A study was conducted on a subset of this conceptual model. Using the survey responses of industrial field salespeople and their managers, this study tested (1) the exchange relationships between the perceived behaviors of both the manager and salesperson, (2) the degree to which these exchanges influence the salesperson’s overall assessment of the salesperson-manager relationship, (3) the degree to which this assessment affects job-related outcomes and (4) the impact of environmental uncertainty on this boundary spanning link between salesperson and manager. The results of this study provides some support for the notion of an exchange relationship between the salesperson and manager. An exchange relationship may exist between the salesperson’s competency and the manager’s latitude. The salesperson’s assessment of the working relationship is based on the latitude received and the loyalty felt toward the manager {rather than his or her contributions of competency). This approach to studying the effects of leader behavior was effective in explaining salesperson satisfaction levels. It was less effective in predicting the goal achievement levels of the field sales force. Finally, the results of this study indicate the amount of uncertainty in the environment may have a direct effect on goal achievement levels of the salespeople, but lacks a moderating influence over the link between salesperson-manager relationships and outcomes. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze sales people's perceptions of performance appraisal criteria in a telecommunications corporation. The study was prompted by the perceived disillusionment of the sales people with the current performance appraisal criteria. The perceptions of 67 sales people were assessed using a questionnaire developed by the researcher. One-way analysis of variance procedures (ANOVA) were used to determine if there were statistically significant differences in premise and telemarketing sales people's perceptions of performance appraisal criteria. Findings indicated that there were no statistically significant difference in premise and telemarketing sales people's perceptions of the 38 performance appraisal criteria statements. Findings did not indicate a statistically significant difference in premise and telemarketing sales people's perceptions of the performance criteria statements, the attitude or satisfaction statements, and the peripheral issue statements. Based on this study, the sales people appear to have clear perceptions of the performance appraisal criteria.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Interior Merchandise Management))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Legislative pressures are being brought to bear on South African employers to demonstrate that occupational assessment is scientifically valid and culture-fair. The development of valid and reliable performance-based assessment tools will enable employers to meet these requirements. The general aim of this research was to validate a performance-based assessment battery for the placement of sales representatives. A literature survey examined alternative assessment measures and methods of performance measurement, leading to the conclusion that the combination of the work sample as a predictor measure and the managerial rating of performance as a criterion measure offer a practical and cost-effective assessment process to the sales manager. The empirical study involved 54 sales persons working for the Commercial division of an oil marketing company, selling products and services to the commercial and industrial market. By means of the empirical study, a significant correlation was found between performance of sales representatives in terms of the performance-based assessment battery for the entry level of the career ladder and their behaviour in the field as measured by the managerial performance rating instrument. The limitations of the sample, however, prevent the results from being generalised to other organisations. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Legislative pressures are being brought to bear on South African employers to demonstrate that occupational assessment is scientifically valid and culture-fair. The development of valid and reliable performance-based assessment tools will enable employers to meet these requirements. The general aim of this research was to validate a performance-based assessment battery for the placement of sales representatives. A literature survey examined alternative assessment measures and methods of performance measurement, leading to the conclusion that the combination of the work sample as a predictor measure and the managerial rating of performance as a criterion measure offer a practical and cost-effective assessment process to the sales manager. The empirical study involved 54 sales persons working for the Commercial division of an oil marketing company, selling products and services to the commercial and industrial market. By means of the empirical study, a significant correlation was found between performance of sales representatives in terms of the performance-based assessment battery for the entry level of the career ladder and their behaviour in the field as measured by the managerial performance rating instrument. The limitations of the sample, however, prevent the results from being generalised to other organisations. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)