The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered job demands and resources for international sales professionals, who faced unprecedented challenges such as the inability to travel and increased isolation due to remote work. According to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, changes in job demands and resources significantly impact well-being, often leading to burnout. Given that international sales are already considered a highly stressful occupation understanding these changes is not only crucial for academic research but also for providing practical support to these professionals. Despite the critical importance of this issue, previous studies have yet to extensively explore the post-pandemic shifts in job demands and resources for international salespeople. This thesis presents qualitative research investigating these changes and their impact on the well-being of international sales professionals during the pandemic. Using semi-structured interviews with six international sales professionals in Japan and Sweden, the study uncovered a surprisingly positive impact of the pandemic on their overall well-being, challenging the traditional JD-R theory. This paradox has brought attention to the oversimplification of the JD-R theory.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-130532 |
Date | January 2024 |
Creators | Shimizu, Suzu, Albakour, Heba |
Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för management (MAN) |
Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
Language | English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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