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

Thesis (D. Phil.(Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Summary in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Physical appearance is one of the most important cues that an individual uses in forming an impression of another person. Researchers have found that perceptions of age are negatively related to perceptions of physical attractiveness. Because salespeople are influential in affecting a store's sales, especially for nondurable goods (Undell, 1972), consumers' perceptions of salespeople may influence the store's image and sales outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate consumers' perceptions of salespeople of different ages and to determine if differences in these perceptions were related to consumers' age and salespersons' age. Two groups of subjects were investigated - younger adults (between 18 and 28 years of age) and older adults (55 years of age and older) . Younger adult subjects were recruited from university classrooms (n = 41). Older adult subjects were the recipients of Oregon Horne Economics Extension Newsletter (n = 46). The total sample size was 87. A questionnaire was used in the present study to investigate a consumer's perceptions. The questionnaire included three parts questions on the respondent's shopping patterns, a consumer shopping scenario which included the salesperson's age manipulation, and questions asking demographic information. Three dependent variables were measured in the questionnaire: perceptions of the salesperson's fashionability, product knowledge, and job performance. The data were analyzed using the chi-square statistic and content analysis. Results indicated that consumers' perceptions of a salesperson's fashionability was related to the age of the salesperson. Perceptions of a salesperson's fashionability was also related to the age of consumer and the age of the salesperson. Perceptions of the salesperson's product knowledge and performance were not related to the age of salesperson nor to the age of the consumers. / Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-189). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2001. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-189). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (PhDBusinessandManagement)--University of South Australia, 2007.

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).

Numerous researchers, employing theories from either psychology or economics, have investigated the circumstances under which firms are likely to adopt salary-based versus commission-based compensation plans. This study integrates the most common theoretical bases of salesperson compensation literature into a broad framework labeled the Eclectic Paradigm of Salesperson Compensation (EPSC). The EPSC proposes that there is a positive association between a firm's salary orientation and resource commitment, and a firm's salary orientation and firm control. There should be a negative association between salary orientation and dissemination risk, and salary orientation and salesperson motivation/performance. Twenty-three hypotheses originating from the EPSC were tested using a pretest sample of 48 real estate salespersons and a test sample of 311 real estate salespersons. The data were analyzed using common factor analysis, logistic regression, multivariate analysis of variance, and median tests. Of the 23 hypotheses, 10 were supported, 7 were partially supported, and 6 were not supported. The results suggest that the eclectic paradigm of salesperson compensation is a promising initial step toward developing a comprehensive model for understanding the determinants of salary versus commission.

The problem considered was that many direct sales personnel do not recruit others into the sales force even though monetary rewards and recognition for achievement can be earned for successful recruitment. The purpose of this study was to identify attitudes that were characteristic of consultants who were successful recruiters within a direct sales organization.

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.