Responsible supply chain management in the Asian context: the effects on relationship commitment and supplier performance

Responsible supply chain management (SCM) in the era of expanding global sourcing can play a critical role in diffusing corporate responsible practices throughout the emerging Asian economies. Thus, this paper aims to examine how responsible SCM can contribute to supplier performance, including environmental, social and operational performances through the improvement of relationship commitment in the Asian context. The hypotheses of this study were tested with the data from 187 South Korean suppliers and 193 Vietnamese suppliers. The paper finds that responsible SCM enhances relationship commitment as well as improves the sustainability performance of suppliers in Asian countries. Relationship commitment plays a critical and mediating role in the relationships between responsible SCM and environmental, social and operational performances. This study also finds that there is a contextual difference between South Korea and Vietnam. The findings of this paper provide implications for supply chain members to integrate environmental and social issues into their SCM practices so as to foster stronger sustainability performance in the global supply chain.     

The Transition from Product to Solution Selling: The Role and Organization of Employees Engaged in Current Business

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This research investigates how to manage and organize existing employees when launching a solution sales strategy, specifically addressing whether it is possible to migrate existing sales representatives active in product sales to solution sales, and whether it is possible to combine the roles.

Methodology/approach: A case-based approach was applied to a multinational firm, engaged in business-to-business sales that simultaneously launched a solution sales strategy in 17 countries. In-depth interviews with 29 managers and sales representatives were performed to inductively identify why some countries succeeded in the launch, while others did not.

Findings: Because of fundamental differences in approach between solution and product sales, those countries where the solutions and product businesses were separated performed better. The difference in required capabilities and mindset meant that migrating sales representatives from product to solution sales is problematic.

Research implications: This research offers evidence of differences in mindset and approach between different marketing and sales strategies, extending the conclusions to how these differences affect the possibility of migrating existing sales representatives when launching a new selling strategy. Whether to separate service and product sales has been debated. The present results indicate that separating the current product business from the new solution business facilitates the successful implementation of the new strategy. In the case company, the solutions represent a mixture of product and services, suggesting that the problem is not the difference between products and services, but rather different selling strategies and approaches that require different capabilities.

Practical implications: When launching a solution sales strategy, the solution business should be separated from the current product business at both the organizational and personnel levels. Solution sales necessitates a particular approach and capabilities, making it unadvisable to transfer sales representatives and managers to the new solution business based solely on previous product sales success. Instead, a new skill profile must be developed taking account of the requirements of a demand-driven solution strategy.

Originality/value/contribution: Consensus is lacking as to whether to separate product and service businesses. This article extends the debate to the field of solution

sales, demonstrating that separation is needed to succeed in launching a solution sales strategy. Furthermore, this research extends our knowledge of the difference in approaches between different selling strategies, covering the possibility of successfully migrating existing sales representatives to a different selling strategy.     

Women in sales in developing countries: The value of technology for social impact

Technology is an engine for growth with great potential to transform women’s self-efficacy and social capital. This article focuses on women in sales and sheds light on the intersection of technology, self-efficacy, and social capital in developing countries. The use of technology allows women to transform their social and economic lives by changing and reshaping processes that enable opportunities for growth and development—ultimately offering a bridge to close the many gaps in human socioeconomic development in developing countries. To this end, we offer several recommendations for saleswomen and organizations to expand their application of technological capabilities for product orders, market messaging, and training.     

浅议开展营销策划教学的必要性

随着经济体制改革的深入进行,营销策划在企业中越来越受到重视。如何培养高质量策划类人才,以满足企业发展的需要成为当前社会需要解决的一个问题。本文对营销策划的重要性以及如何培养营销策划人才进行了论述。     

Supervising the Unethical Selling Behavior of Top Sales Performers: Assessing the Impact of Social Desirability Bias

This study measures social desirability bias (SD bias) by comparing the level of discipline sales managers believe they would administer when supervising unethical selling behavior with the level of discipline they perceive other sales managers would select. Results indicate the presence of SD bias; the sales manager respondents consistently claimed that they would be stricter while their peers would be more lenient. Using an analytical technique that takes social desirability bias into account, it appears that sales managers use of discipline is affected by the sales performance of the salesperson being disciplined resulting in more lenient discipline for top sales performers. In addition, the more lenient treatment for top sales performers persists even when there is a pattern of a prior ethical infraction and the existence of an explicit organizational policy proscribing the act in question. Sales managers believe that, like themselves, others would be stricter when an unethical act is committed for the second time but not as strict as they personally would be. A within-subjects interaction effect indicates more SD bias under the condition of the unethical act being committed for the second time.     

我国畜产品产销现状与发展对策分析

本文认为,加入WTO以后,国际市场价格开始对我国畜产品市场发生作用,我国畜牧企业经营规模小、经营效率低等具体问题开始显现;面对我国畜产品消费需求的快速增长,要加快科技进步,发展畜产品加工,做大产业经营规模,构建现代化畜产品市场产销体系,提高畜产品产销效率,增强畜产品市场竞争能力;要推行市场禁入和准入制度,组建畜产品产销行业协会,加强畜产品市场定位和产销研究,积极推动我国畜产品出口,促进我国畜产品产销持续健康发展。     

小农户与现代销售渠道选择——来自中国梨园的经验数据

基于梨农入户调查数据,对选择传统销售渠道和现代销售渠道的农户进行的对比分析,以及通过构建Probit模型对销售渠道选择决定因素进行的实证研究表明,梨园面积较大、农业资产更加丰富的农户更容易选择现代销售渠道。也就是说,农产品现代销售渠道往往设置了种植规模和农业资产门槛,有可能将小规模贫穷农户排除在现代销售渠道之外。但小规模农户可通过加入农民专业合作社等方式来提高自己的组织化程度,进而提高自己加入现代销售渠道的可能性。因此,政府在制定农产品流通政策,推进农超对接等工程时,不可操之过急。政府应不断引导农民加入农民专业合作组织,规范农业合作组织,克服小农户分散经营的局限性,提高组织化程度和组织运行效率。政策制定部门要创造条件引导农民加入合作社或利用行业协会来提高农民的组织化程度,增加农民与现代销售渠道谈判的力量,同时规范农民专业合作组织运行机制,让合作组织真正成为分散小农户的利益代表。     

GIS和多媒体技术结合在旅行社产品销售中的应用

地理信息系统融计算机图形和数据库于一体 ,输入、存储、处理、分析和表达旅行社所代理销售的各种旅游产品信息。并把以包价旅游为主的旅游产品的地理位置与相关属性有机地结合起来 ,在推销宣传时准确真实、图文并茂的展示出来 ,为旅游者选择最佳旅游路线提供决策参考 ,也为旅行社提高效率、扩大新的市场、提高竞争力开启了便利之门。     

The Purpose of Trade Union Values: An Analysis of the ACTU1 Statement of Values

This paper uses the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) statement of union values as its point of departure to explore the purpose and role of trade union values. Specifically, the paper questions whether the role of values is purely symbolic, serving as a guide to unions, or whether values have a broader role. Furthermore, the paper questions the scope of the ACTU statement, which is currently based on the public work of unions. In conducting this analysis, union values are compared to the broader human values; moreover, the scope of the document is assessed against the historic activity and behaviour of unions as represented in extant union theory. Subsequently, the paper uses the emerging role of union values to critique the ACTU statement, concluding that while this statement makes a valuable contribution to union practice and debate, it can be extended to encompass other, more private areas of union activity.     

Perceived Impact of Promotional Support: Issues and Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to come up with a scale for a new construct, perceived impact of promotional support (PIPS) and link it with sales performance through the mediators, sales effort and salesmanship skills. This paper involved three studies. In study 1, the authors came up with a new scale and in study 2 they tested it on a student sample. In study 3, they tested the scale on a sample of pharma salespersons (n?=?202) and also tested the conceptual model. The paper employed standard scale development procedures, tested the model with SEM and showed that the new scale was reliable and valid. Further, PIPS was found to impact sales performance through salesmanship skills. While PIPS impacted sales effort, the latter surprisingly did not affect sales performance. For the practitioner, our work suggests that promotional support is critical, not just for motivating salespersons to put in more effort, but also to enhance their salesmanship skills, which in turn improves their performance. Moreover, it demonstrates the positive effect of sales effort on salesmanship skills.     

Psychological contracts and independent sales contractors: an examination of the predictors of contractor-level outcomes

Abstract

Over the past decade, the independent sales contractor (ISC) has emerged as both an important distribution channel and a management challenge. This study makes two contributions to this evolving field. First, it explores the interrelations of the psychological contract with sales performance, voluntary turnover and organisational advocacy of ISCs, which have hitherto been largely unexplored. Second, it examines differences between high- and low-performing sales contractors on these linkages, due to findings in the literature that a small number of sales contractors often achieve a majority of sales. Based on survey data as well as 7 years of contractor-level data related to sales performance and voluntary turnover (n = 189), results indicate that psychological contract fulfilment and perceived dependency are important determinants of subsequent sales performance, voluntary turnover and organisational advocacy, with significant differences reported between high- and low-performing ISCs. A notable finding pertinent for sales managers responsible for managing ISCs is that high-performing sales contractors are motivated by psychological contract fulfilment and a low perception of dependency, while low-performing sales contractors are more likely to act as advocates for the firm due to perceived dependency, but may concurrently engage in organisational advocacy as a means to leave the firm.     

Processes underlying the development and evolution of salespersonsõ job satisfaction/dissatisfaction: a conceptual framework

A conceptual framework of salesperson satisfaction/dissatisfaction is presented and is used to develop several research propositions. Drawing from organizational behaviour and sales management research, the model incorporates various theories of motivation and emphasizes the role of intervening variables thought to be especially important in the context of sales occupations. Finally, the model draws attention to the dynamic nature of the relationships between salespersons' efforts, performance, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and job satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Copyright © 2011 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

正式控制对销售绩效的影响机制研究--一个被中介的调节作用模型

基于目标设定理论,构建了一个被中介的调节作用模型,探讨正式控制(包括结果控制和行为控制)对销售人员绩效的影响。实证结果表明：结果控制、行为控制分别与销售绩效显著正相关;结果控制与行为控制对销售绩效有交互的影响效应,结果控制与行为控制较强时,销售绩效更高;销售人员的顾客导向行为对上述交互效应与销售绩效的关系起部分中介作用。本研究的结论说明销售管理者需要通过结果控制为下属设置目标,配合使用行为控制提供反馈,从而激发销售人员迎合顾客需求的销售行为,提升其销售绩效。     

Seven Pillars of Business Ethics: Toward a Comprehensive Framework

This article first addresses the question of “why” we teach business ethics. Our answer to “why” provides both a response to those who oppose business ethics courses and a direction for course content. We believe a solid, comprehensive course in business ethics should address not only moral philosophy, ethical dilemmas, and corporate social responsibility – the traditional pillars of the disciple – but also additional areas necessary to make sense of the goings-on in the business world and in the news. These “new pillars,” that we advocate include moral psychology, organizational design and behavior, motivational theory, and a unit on how society, business, and law interact. This last unit builds upon the work of Francis P. McHugh (1988) who urged an integration of “disciplines related to business ethics.” Our seventh pillar would encompass an integration of law, socio-political theory, and policy to demonstrate how business helps construct its own regulatory framework. The concluding recommendation is for a comprehensive “Seven Pillars” of business ethics approach. William Arthur Wines holds a B.S.B.A. with distinction from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He is admitted to the practice of law in Minnesota and the State of Washington. His research has appeared in over three dozen journals including the American Business Law Journal, Arizona Law Review, Economics of Education Review, Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, Denver Journal of International Law and Policy, Journal of Business Ethics, Labor Law Journal, Marquette Law Review, Nebraska Law Review, and The William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law. He is the author of two volumes of readings in business ethics and “Ethics, Law, and Business”, published by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. in 2006. This material is subject to various copyright laws. Please do not transmit electronically, quote, or copy without the prior written permission of the author.     

Toward a Unified Theory of the CSP–CFP Link

This article proposes a unified theory of the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP). The theory provides a framework for rationalizing the various and contradictory findings in past empirical research. The theory is based on the parallels between the business and CSR domains, and thus draws on models from economics.     

Toward a Model of Word-of-Mouth in the Health Care Sector

An important source of health information is word of mouth (WOM). Nevertheless, a model describing WOM in the health care sector does not exist. The aim of this paper is to contribute to research by providing concrete suggestions for a model of word of mouth in the health care sector. A conceptual framework comprising the theory of cognitive dissonance, the theory of the strength of weak ties, and the theory of perceived risk are used as a theoretical anchor. In order to gain a more precise knowledge of WOM in the health care sector, a literature review of leading health care journals is conducted. The findings are summarized in the form of a model proposal describing the creation, spread, and impact of WOM in the health care sector. As the model summarizes the current WOM literature, it seems to be a good starting point for further research by scholars. The paper also helps practitioners to better understand WOM and integrate the WOM aspects described into their daily work.     

The multinationality and performance relationship: Revisiting the literature and exploring the implications

The relationship between the degree of multinationality (M) and performance (P) of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is a central research question in the literatures of international business, management, strategy, and finance in the past 50 years. However, theoretical foundations and empirical findings are far from being in unison. Thus, it is necessary to conduct a critical review. We offer new insights by combining international business, accounting and finance perspectives in our review. We examine 160 articles in 43 scholarly journals and classic books published during the period 1960-2017. We use an inductive approach and a qualitative content analysis methodology. We review the extant literature and identify eight key inconsistencies, which may cause ambiguity in the findings. These include the deficiency of direct evidence to substantiate the arguments of benefits and costs of internationalization on performance, inherent limitations in the conceptualization and measurements of M, P, intangible assets, geographic research contexts and methodologies. We make eight recommendations for future research to address these inconsistencies.     

Improving relationships between sales and marketing: the relative effectiveness of cross-functional coordination mechanisms

ABSTRACT

The importance of effective sales and marketing working relationships is well known and this article examines the effectiveness of various coordination mechanisms used to improve this cross-functional relationship. Six coordination mechanisms are measured to identify their effect on sales and marketing conflict and collaboration, which in turn influence business performance. The results reveal that not all coordination mechanisms are equally effective. Structuring sales and marketing as a single unit and creating cross-functional project teams improve the interface, as do providing opportunities for job rotation and establishing cross-functional meetings. However, employing cross-functional training and co-locating sales and marketing do not influence this working relationship. Finally, reducing conflict and increasing collaboration between sales and marketing is shown to independently, and positively, influence business performance.     

Revisiting the European Horsemeat Scandal: The Role of Power Asymmetry in the Food Supply Chain Crisis

This study explores the role of power asymmetry in the food supply chain, especially in relation to the channel conflict, and ultimate breakdown that culminated in the infamous European horsemeat scandal across Europe. Drawing upon the power‐dependency, and to some extent, social exchange theory, the study posits that mutual dependence between single supplier–multiple buyer relationships where major retailers are the weaker partners, may require a revisitation of risk management practices in that sector. In addition to the fraudulent and unethical practices established from media reporting on the horsemeat scandal, the study argues that the power asymmetry/imbalance may have contributed to a supplier culture that tolerated the unethical decision making leading to the horsemeat scandal. Based on an extensive review of secondary data sources comprising media reports on the scandal and a review of the academic literature on power dependency and social exchange theories, the study attempts to map out the root of the crisis, how to forestall future recurrence, and the managerial and policy implications of these. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Revisiting the Concept of a Societal Orientation: Conceptualization and Delineation

Marketers have traditionally evaluated products and practices on the basis of whether something could be sold. It is also important to evaluate products and practices from a societal perspective, “Should a product be sold?” The first idea reflects a managerial orientation and what must be done to sell a product; the second idea reflects a societal orientation and the impact of selling a product. In relation to the second idea, the societal marketing concept was introduced in 1972. There has been little advancement in our understanding of a societal orientation since that time. The current study presents a conceptualization of a societal orientation based on a review of literature and qualitative interviews. The construct was conceptualized as “attention to the long-term well-being of individuals and society at large by enhancing positive impacts from and reducing negative effects associated with production and consumption of a product.” Five domains comprising a societal orientation are proposed: physical consequences, psychological well-being, social relationships, economic contribution, and environmental consciousness.