Perceptual differences regarding leadership between the store manager and employees and its impact on frontline sales performance: A research note

This study focuses on the bright side of perceptual differences regarding leadership that may exist between managers and employees. Specifically, building on leadership literature, the authors propose that in situations wherein a manager’s perceptions of their own leadership are lower than that of their employees’ perceptions of their managers’ leadership, employees’ sales performance levels are higher. Data were collected from retail store managers and frontline employees in Brazil in three different contexts (e.g., footwear, clothing, and furniture). Based on polynomial regression analyses, the findings suggest that sales performance is generally higher when a manager’s self-perceptions are lower than their frontline employees’ perceptions of managers’ transactional and transformational leadership.     

Examining the Impact of Customer Relationship Management on Deconstructed Measures of Firm Performance

The aggregate measures frequently used to evaluate customer relationship management (CRM) performance may mask the true impact of CRM activities and make it difficult to tease out which activities might be helping (or hurting) the relationship capabilities of the firm. We posit that examining the impact of CRM on individual firm performance indicators provides better diagnostic value for managers. To test our hypothesis, we examine the impact of 6 CRM activities on 4 dimensions of firm performance and compare the results with the impact of the same activities on a composite score of the 4 dimensions. As expected, the pattern of regression coefficients is different between the equation with composite performance as the dependent variable and each of the remaining 4 equations. Managerially speaking, our results provide direction for marketing and customer managers in decision making related to prioritizing CRM activities. Theoretically speaking, they imply that researchers should consider examining the impact of CRM on individual performance dimensions as well.     

Differences between Presidents' and Sales Managers' Perceptions of the Industry Environment and Firm Strategy in Small Industrial Firms: Relationship to Performance Satisfaction

The industrial sales force is the primary source of information about the competitive environment. Differences of perceptions of that environment between the national sales manager and the firm president in small industrial firms may reflect inadequate environmental information input into strategic decision-making. The sales force is a major element in implementation of strategy and differences between perceptions of firm strategy may reflect inadequate coordination and communication between the chief strategy decision-maker and the manager who is responsible for implementing that strategy in the market place. It would be expected that these differences in perceptions would impact negatively strategy formulation and execution resulting in unsatisfactory firm performance. This study surveyed the environmental and strategy perceptions of presidents and national sales managers in small to medium-sized industrial firms as well as presidents' satisfaction with firm profitability and marketing/sales effectiveness. The average absolute difference in environment perceptions has a negative relationship with satisfaction with profit. The average absolute difference in strategy perceptions has a negative relationship with marketing/sales effectiveness. This latter relationship is especially strong in an environment high in capital spending variation and for larger firms. The authors suggest implications for managers based on these results.     

Global performance management systems: The role of trust as perceived by country managers

This study focuses on a critical mechanism of the international human resource management process: performance management. The study specifically explores how the process of global performance management is perceived by the country managers of multinational corporations' subsidiaries in Australia. The study reveals that a multinational corporation's systemic demand for short-term profit has the potential for inhibiting employee–supervisor relationships and perceived effectiveness of performance management appears to be dependent on the relationship and level of trust between the country manager and her/his supervisor. On the basis of the research findings, relational communication and psychosocial factors such as trust play an important role in the functioning of a country manager vis-à-vis their perceptions of the performance management process. The study suggests that, with the current approach to global performance management for country managers, despite the expense involved in the process, many of the potential benefits may not be realized. Social exchange theory is proposed as the foundation for developing more effective and fluent global relationships based on trust.     

Qualifications and turnover of managers and venture capital-financed firm performance: An empirical study of german venture capital-investments

This study investigates relationships between experience and education aspects of manager qualifications and performance measures in a sample of 103 Portfolio Companies (PC) of German Venture Capital Firms (VCF). In addition, we consider whether lower PC performance induces higher PC manager turnover and if VCF actively influences such PC manager turnover. Bivariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that PC manager qualifications correlate significantly with PC performance. Specifically, characteristics of PC manager experience in marketing/sales, planning/strategy functional areas, as well as in terms of industry experience, were identified as critical success factors.Our findings have substantial implications for VCF management practice: Although deficits in PC manager qualifications were addressed previously both in English and the German language academic literature, to date management practices did not recognize the relevance of such qualifications for investment success and the need to influence PC manager qualifications systematically through tailored selection and development procedures for PC managers. Had the need to compensate for gaps in PC manager qualifications been given adequate priority, our sample would neither contain a high variance for qualification variables nor significant correlations between multiple aspects of PC manager qualifications and success. Therefore, our findings suggest that (German) VCF should in due diligence put more emphasis on (1) PC managers' business functional experience and, unless the PC is active in an entirely new market, (2) a high proportion of managers with experience in the relevant industry. Beyond due diligence, VCF may have to actively realign or replace top managers of PCs in cases where success is substantially below expectations. It is highly likely that there is room for further improvement in this area, in particular in constructing incentives against “living dead” cases, where PCs develop substantially below expectations, but do not fail completely.     

“Marketing Managers” in the Context of Global Supply Chains: Functional Versus Multiple IQ Competencies

Managerial scholars have suggested that “g” score (i.e., intelligence) tests are not enough to assess and select the appropriate candidates for some jobs. Other dimensions can play just as important a role in employee performance. Thus, the purpose of this article is to expand our view in terms of criteria that may be used as it relates to global supply chain managers. We present a nine-base typology to assist researchers and managers in assessing the true dynamics of global supply chain manager intelligence. The typology of intelligence includes the dimensions of cognitive, social, political, emotional, structural, intuition, experiential, creative, and network. We build our model by using intelligence dimensions from management, industrial organizational psychology, marketing and organizational behavior, and perspectives that include relational contracting norms, relationship marketing, networking, and communications. We propose that global supply chain managers need all nine bases to perform well in the global business arena.     

Understanding the formation of psychic distance perceptions: Are country-level or individual-level factors more important?

This study investigates individual managers’ formation of psychic distance perceptions to foreign countries. Adopting a social psychological perspective, we propose that three social-cognitive mechanisms—social comparison, mere exposure, and social learning—help explain why and how country- and individual-level characteristics affect the formation of these perceptions. Based on an international survey of 1591 managers located in 25 countries undertaken between 2003 and 2008, we find that country-specific international experience, formal education, and the use of common language reduce psychic distance perceptions. Surprisingly, and in contrast to conventional wisdom, managers’ international experience and overall work experience do not seem to affect their distance perceptions. Moreover, individual-level antecedents seem to have limited explanatory power relative to country-level factors as predictors of overall psychic distance perceptions, which lends support to the widely-employed practice of operationalizing psychic distances through country-level indicators. In addition to these empirical findings, the study provides a theoretical social psychological framework useful for understanding how psychic distance perceptions are formed.     

Relocating empowerment as a management concept for Asia

Management theories, especially those in the area of human resource management, are predominantly Western-centric in origin and in the empirical testing that underpins them. The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions of one such theory, employee empowerment, in an Asian context. Information gathered from an open ended questionnaire and focus groups provide an in-depth examination of hotel managers' perceptions and practice of empowerment in the workplace. This study provides tentative indicators of significant culturally-driven differences in the understanding and application of employee empowerment (in terms of both research and practice) between Western and Asian contexts. The results of this study indicate that empowerment in Asian cultures relates much more to the individual and his/her merits, in contrast to organizationally-driven empowerment in Western countries. The findings also indicate that empowerment by hotel managers is related to the level of personal trust the manager has in an employee.     

The selection of managers for foreign assignments: A planning perspective

The selection of managers for international assignments has frequently been based on an inventory of personal characteristics and technical competence of the manager. Unfortunately, many of these managers have not been successful during their expatriation assignments. To more effectively select overseas managers international human resource managers in MNCs must examine their corporate goals, varying pools of potential candidates, and the personal characteristics of each candidate. This paper develops a planning format which identifies policy, strategic and tactical dimensions which can be used in the selection of managers for international assignments.     

Do fund managers herd to counter investor sentiment?

Extensive literature conjectures that investor sentiment may be one of the important factors in explaining fund manager herding. To address this issue, this study investigates the role of investor sentiment in fund manager herding. The study employs the trinomial-distribution approach to measure manager herding, and uses the principal component analysis as the means of extracting the composite sentiment measure. The results indicate that investor sentiment plays a significant role in explaining subsequent mutual fund herding, especially on the sell-side. Specifically, the evidence is consistent with the funds sharing an aversion to stocks that have previously exhibited higher optimistic sentiment, supporting the sentiment countering hypothesis. The finding also reveals the existence of informational cascades in the case that fund managers herd as a result of analyzing the same sentiment-related indicators.     

Selection,Training, and Performance Evaluation of Sales Managers: An Empirical Investigation

ABSTRACT

Despite the important role sales managers play in an organization, little empirical work has explored various facets of their jobs. The state of knowledge regarding this issue is woefully inadequate. To partially address this gap in the sales management literature, this paper reports the results of a study that investigated recruitment/selection, training, and performance evaluation practices vis-à-vis sales managers. Findings suggest that sales managers (irrespective of their company's size or primary market offering) generally rely on subjective recruitment and selection tools and techniques when recruiting sales management candidates, do not feel that any particular job activity is uniquely important or difficult to perform, and consider few evaluation criteria when assaying sales manager performance. Conclusions concerning the study's results are provided.     

What makes a brand manager effective?

Brands have become increasingly important as a foundation for competitive strategy. Unfortunately, although brand managers are responsible for brand strategy development and execution, little is known about what makes a brand manager effective. A model is developed to understand what intangible capital embodied by brand managers influences brand management capabilities and resultant brand performance. Measures of brand manager intangible capital and brand management capabilities are developed through an iterative scale development process. Hypothesis testing, derived from a survey of brand managers, indicates that brand manager human, relational and informational capital influences brand management capabilities and resultant brand performance, and brand manager intangible capital has an indirect effect on brand performance via brand management capabilities. By delineating and operationalizing the intangible capital and capabilities of brand managers, this study provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for future research on brand managers, tools for assessing current brand manager capital and capabilities, and guidance in relation to intangible capital and capabilities needed by brand managers.     

Sales management coaching: a model for improved insurance company performance

Of all the things sales managers do to develop salespeople, many people believe the most important one is coaching. Coaching is defined as using skills, experience, and direction to help someone improve their performance. Coaching consists primarily of giving people feedback to reinforce what they do well while suggesting ways and means to improve. Coaching implies that everybody can improve and hopefully everybody wants to get better at what they do. Many sales managers erroneously believe that they have to be better than the person they are coaching at the skill set they are discussing in order to be a useful coaching resource to that person. To be a good coach requires an understanding of the skills being discussed and a desire to help someone improve in the performance of their job. The sales manager who knows how to provide that feedback will have more productive, effective, satisfied, and motivated salespeople. This paper provides an overview of the coaching sequence and the skills required to make it work with some comment on how this was successfully applied to a major national insurance company. Sales Management styles vary, and what works for one person may not work for another. Effective Sales Management Coaching can provide sales managers with the skills to help salespeople grow and develop professionally.     

Causes and Consequences of Abusive Supervision in Sales Management: A Tale of Two Perspectives

Abuse may characterize some most important relationships, and it is estimated that 20 million Americans face abusive work situations on a daily basis. Given this statistic, there is a clear need to investigate this topic within the marketing literature. As a result, the purpose of this study is to explore antecedents and outcomes of abusive supervision in sales management, where the performance‐driven nature of salesperson–sales manager relationships often creates a highly stressful situation. This research looks at several characteristics of sales managers from their perspectives as well as subordinates, and it considers how abuse influences professional and personal lives of both parties. Causes under investigation include leadership style, justice perceptions, negative affectivity, and experiences of abusive leadership by sales managers. Their impact is measured on salesperson and manager job satisfaction and organizational commitment. A model is used to help readers visualize the processes involved with both salespersons and sales managers, and theoretical and practical implications are provided in the close.     

“Society is Out There,Organisation is in Here”: On the Perceptions of Corporate Social Responsibility Held by Different Managerial Groups

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an increasingly significant managerial concept, yet the manager as an agent of corporate bureaucracy has been substantially missing from both the analytical and conceptual literature dealing with CSR. This article, which is both interpretative in nature and specific in reference to the U.K. cultural context, represents an attempt at addressing this lacuna by utilising qualitative data to explore the perceptions of managers working in corporations with developed CSR programmes. Exploring managerial perceptions of motives for CSR initiatives, methods of stakeholder engagement, organisational integration of CSR and its impact on managerial work, this study concludes that an instrumental approach dominates, which indicates an external–internal organisational paradox in the design and execution of CSR initiatives.     

旅游饭店中级职业经理人胜任特征模型研究

研究在文献分析和行为事件访谈基础上,设计旅游饭店中级职业经理人胜任特征调查问卷,对南京市旅游饭店中级职业经理人群体实施抽样调查,采用探索性因子分析和验证性因子分析方法探索和检验胜任特征模型的合理性和有效性。探索性因子分析结果表明,旅游饭店中级职业经理人的胜任特征由"沟通与团队建设"、"职业道德与特质"、"自主学习力"、"自我控制和执行力"、"管理思维"五个维度22个特征要素构成;验证性因子分析表明,"沟通与团队建设"、"职业道德与品质"、"自主学习力"、"自我控制和执行力"、"管理思维与工作绩效"的标准化路径系数分别为0.60、0.50、0.48、0.60、0.59,模型能够预测和反映工作绩效。     

Critical success factors in project management: implication from Vietnam

This study will assess successful project performance based on key project factors. The indicators of project success are cost, time, technical performance and customer satisfaction as used in previous studies. The sample consisted of 239 project members and managers currently involved in infrastructure projects in Vietnam. Regression analysis was used to test five hypotheses developed from theories on project success. Three groups of factors including manager competencies, member competencies and external stability have significant positive relationships to the success criteria. The completion and implementation stages in the project life cycle are also positively related to success. The implementation stage of a project moderates both the effects of external stability and organization support on success. The implication for project managers is that implementation is the key stage in determining the success of projects.     

Store Manager–Store Performance Relationship: A Research Note

Despite the critical role that store managers play in linking top management teams and service/retail employees, as well as in fulfilling corporate strategy within chain store environments, service management research infrequently addresses the factors that may promote store managers’ effective exchange relationships within the firm and subsequent effects on store operations and profitability. This study focuses on how store managers’ performance orientation, trust of a regional manager’s capabilities, and organizational commitment affect a manager’s relationships relative to regional managers and frontline employees. The direct effect of store managers’ relationship capacity on store performance is also examined. The results, based on survey data from managers of stores of a retail and service chain and company financial reports, generally support the suggested hypotheses. Specifically, a store manager’s relationship with his/her supervisor has a strong influence on how the manager views the supervisor’s leadership support and leadership style, which ultimately influence store performance (primary goods/service sales and store profits).     

The role of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness: Students versus managers

This paper investigates the differences in perceptions between business students and service-sector managers regarding the role that ethics and social responsibility serve in determining organizational effectiveness. An organizational effectiveness instrument containing business ethics and social responsibility items served as a questionnaire for a sample of 151 senior business undergraduates and 53 service-sector managers. The results indicated that while students acting as managers rate some social responsibility issues as more important than do managers, they also rate ethical conduct and a few dimensions of social responsibility lower than do managers. The findings have direct implications for both business practitioners and educators.Kenneth L. Kraft received his D.B.A. from the University of Maryland in 1982 and is currently an Associate Professor of Management at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. His recent papers explore the relationships between strategy, structure, social responsibility, and organizational effectiveness in a variety of settings. Anusorn Singhapakdi is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Old Dominion University. His current research interests center on marketing/business ethics and selected public policy issues in marketing. He has published in Journal of Macromarketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Value Based Managementas well as other journals and proceedings.     

Leadership styles and corporate social responsibility management: Analysis from a gender perspective

Companies' perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been only partially analyzed from an individual perspective that focuses on personal characteristics and professional backgrounds. However, a gap exists in the research on manager leadership styles and CSR perceptions from a gender perspective. Therefore, this article analyzes differences in attitudes toward various dimensions of CSR by focusing on the leadership styles—transformational, dominance, and dual perspectives—of male and female managers in Spain. A total of 391 respondents in top management positions in Spain were surveyed. The findings revealed similarities and differences between genders with respect to leadership styles and CSR perceptions by dimension using a univariate analysis. A causal model that employed structural equation modeling was also estimated. The findings suggest that for transformational and dual leadership styles, Spanish women may be more adaptable and effective at pursuing company sustainability than Spanish men. However, dominance leadership was found to be the worst leadership style for deploying a CSR strategy. A number of conclusions for business management can be drawn, and some directions for future research are provided.