TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title Page i
Certification Page ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract Page v
Table of Content vi
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 2
1.3 Objectives
of the Study 3
1.4 Research
Questions 4
1.5 Research
Hypothesis 4
1.6 Justification/Significance
of the Study 5
1.7 Scope
and Limitation of the Study 6
1.8 Definition
of Terms 6
References 8
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 10
2.2 Theoretical
Literature 13
2.3 Theoretical
Framework 18
2.4 Empirical
Literature 25
2.5 Limitation
of the Study/Gap to be Filled 29
2.6 Relationship
Selling In Nigerian Service Industry 30
2.7 Conclusion
31
References 33
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1
Introduction
54
3.2 Research
Design 54
3.3 The Study Area 55
3.4 Study Population 55
3.5 Sample of the Study 55
3.6 Method of Data
Collection 56
3.7 Validity
of Research
Instrument 57
3.8 Reliability
of Research
Instrument 58
3.9 Methods
of Data
Analysis 58
3.10 Ethical
Consideration 60
3.11 Field
Experience 60
3.12 Limitations
of the
Study 60
References 62
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Introduction 63
4.2 Background of the Respondents 63
4.3 Results
and Discussions 69
4.4 Test
of Hypotheses
89
4.5 Discussion of Results 94
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY,
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 96
5.2 Findings 96
5.3 Recommendations 98
5.4 Conclusions 99
5.4 Suggestions for Further Research 101
Bibliography 101
Appendix 121
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of the Study
For any company
wanting to be successful in business, it is of the utmost importance tobe able
to identify and validate the salesperson characteristics and
behaviorspredictive of high performance in selling. In line with this thinking,
a vast number ofstudies have been conducted in relation to selling behaviors,
their individual andorganizational antecedents, and salesperson performance
(e.g. Franke and Park 2006;Guenzi, De Luca and Troilo, 2011;Plouffe, Hulland
and Wachner, 2009).
Salesperson goal
orientations have been found to be among the key drivers ofvarious salesperson
behaviours and selling performance. They refer to the individualdifferences in
goal preferences in achievement situations (Dweck and Legett, 1988; Kohli,
Shervani and Challagalla, 1998) and can be divided into two major
classes,namely learning goal orientation which involves seeking to develop
competence byacquiring new skills and mastering new situations, and performance
goal orientationwhich involves seeking to demonstrate and validate one’s
competence to others(Dweck and Legett, 1988). During the last two decades,
their key antecedents andoutcomes have been established in the context of
selling (see Sujan, Weitz and Kumar, 1994; Harris, Moven and Brown
2005;Ahearne, Lam, Mathieu and Bolander, 2010).
However, a closer
look at the salesperson goal orientation studies reveals some keygaps and
inconsistencies in the goal orientations performance relationship.First, goal
orientation studies have produced mixed findings related to therelationship
between learning orientation and performance, ranging from clear
positiverelationships (e.g. Vande Walle, Brown, Cron and Slocum; 1999) to no
relationship (e.g.Kohli et al. 1998). Further, several studies have found that
contrary to theory,performance orientation explains salesperson performance
better than learningorientation (e.g. Porath and Bateman, 2006). Some studies
have suggested and alsoprovided evidence to support the idea that the
interaction between time and goalorientations might resolve these
inconsistencies (Ahearne, Lam, Mathieu andBolander 2010). Kohli et al. (1998)
argued that learning orientation might not affect ormight even hamper selling
performance in the short term, but increase performance inthe long term by
enabling salespeople to develop their skills. The gaps in findings andthe
related propositions indicate that the largely unexplored question of the
effect ofsalespersons’ selling experience on goal orientations should be
studied more closely.
Secondly, studies
have to date mostly concentrated on the direct key antecedentsand outcomes of
goal orientations. Scholars have recently called for new studies onselling that
examine alternative types of relationship, including mediation andmoderation,
for a better understanding of the interrelations between selling behaviorsand
the mechanisms how they affect performance (see Plouffe, Hulland and
Wachner2009). As goal orientations concern the mental framework that
individuals use tointerpret and respond to achievement situations (Dweck and
Legett, 1988) and relateclosely to learning, it is likely that they can affect
selling behaviors not only directly butalso through interaction, for example by
helping salespeople adapt their selling stylemore effectively. Ignoring these
potential indirect effects can lead to underestimation ofvarious goal
orientations’ role in selling performance indicating the need to study thetopic
more closely. Further, prior studies have found only little evidence of
moderatorsof adaptive selling this far underlining the relevance of the taken
perspective (seeFranke and Park, 2006).
This study seeks
to fill the identified gaps in research on selling goal orientation bycreating
new understanding of nexus between relationship selling and salesman
performance in the Nigerian service industry with particular emphasis on the
banking sector.
1.2 Statement of
the Problem
Salespersons are
widely considered as a dynamic power in the business world and their efforts
has a direct effect on the various and different activities of organizations.
They introduce the products of organizations to their customers. In the opinion
of customers, the salespersons are representatives of the organization. The
survival of service firms like banks depends on their interaction with the environment.
Providing high quality service and rely solely on expertise is not enough in
the banking industry, especially in the highly competitive country where the
banking services abound. It is very difficult for bank marketers to use the
service knowledge, as the only weapon (Wong et al, 2008). Customer satisfaction
and adaptive selling behaviors are very important variables relating to banking
services affecting the salespersons' performance directly or through customer
orientation (Singh, 2012). Banks are to provide good services for their clients
and this effort is summarized in the performance of their salesperson. The more
competitive and uncertain the environment is, the more the importance of
investigating the salespersons' performance and its improvement will be
(Keillor and Parker, 2000). Therefore, this study is to investigate the factors
affecting the performance of salespersons. According to previous studies, the
salespersons' performance is a function of job satisfaction, adaptive selling
behaviors, customer orientation and service history (Kotler and Keller, 2006;
Singh and Das, 2013). Some studies have examined the impact of job
satisfaction, customer orientation and adaptive selling behaviors on sales
performance (Frank and Park, 2006; Bloes, 2001; O'Hara et al, 1991), but few
studies have examined the impact of selling experience (O'Hara et al, 1991;
Siguaw and Honeycutt, 1995; Singh and Das, 2013). The purpose of this study is
to fill this gap in the literature of relationship selling and salesman
performance and by extension to investigate the moderating role of selling
experience and job commitment on these relationships. By investigating the
effect of selling experience on these relationships, we can get to some clues
about the relationship between sales performance and key affecting factors that
provides useful implications for managing and improving the performance of
salespersons.
1.3 Objectives
of the Study
The general
objective of this research is to understudy the nexus between relationship
selling and salesman performance in service industry in the Nigerian economy:
a) To understand the practice of
relationship selling and effects on sales performance in the Nigerian banking
industry.
b) To show the effect of relationship
selling on clients retention in the industry.
c) To understand the peculiarities of
banking sector in usage and strategizing with relationship selling
d) To evaluate the moderating role played
by sales experience in linking relationship selling and sales performance in the
Nigerian banking industry.
e) To show the effects of relationship
selling on general performance of banks in terms of market share improvement
1.4 Research
Questions
The following
questions would be put forward to help the achievement of the objectives of
this research work:
a) What is the level of practice of
relationship selling and effects on sales performance in the Nigerian banking
industry?
b) What is the effect of relationship
selling on clients’ retention in the industry?
c) What are the peculiarities of banking
sector in usage and strategizing with relationship selling?
d) What are the moderating role played by
sales experience in linking relationship selling and sales performance in the
Nigerian banking industry?
e) What are effects of relationship
selling on general performance of banks in terms of market share improvement?
1.5 Research
Hypothesis
H01: Relationship selling has no significant
effect on clients’ retention in the banking industry.
H02: The banking sector possesses no form of
significant peculiarities in the usage and strategizing with relationship
selling.
H03: Sales experience plays no significant
moderating role in linking the relationship selling and sales performance in
the Nigerian banking industry.
H04: Relationship selling has no significant
effect on the general performance of banks in terms of market share
improvement.
1.6 Justification/Significance
of the Study
This study will be relevant in so many ways. Firstly, it will be relevant in the sense
that it will provide the basic understanding of the concept of relationship
selling and organisational performance with particular emphasis on the Nigerian
banking industry. This understanding will help all stakeholders in financial
market to make good policies regarding marketing and selling their product or
services. To this end, it will be beneficial to the following interest
holders:-the researcher, the general public, the academic world, small-scale
business owners or managers and the government.
The
research work will give the researcher an in–depth understanding on the concept
of relationship selling and salesperson performance.
The
dynamics of relationship selling and salesperson performance is a field which
seems elusive thus; it is not understood by many. This research work will
enlighten people on the concept so that both customers and marketing executive
alike can explore and make their relationship better off in the Nigerian
banking industry.
This
research work will definitely add to existing body of knowledge. It can also
serve as a reference material and topic for further research work.
The
government will also benefit from this work as various government agencies or
regulatory bodies such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, Securities and Exchange
Commission amongst other can ensure that the interests of the entire Nigerian
populace are protected through various forms of relationship selling.
1.7 Scope and
Limitation of the Study
As regards
geographical scope of this work, the work will be centered on the Nigerian economy
with particular emphasis on the banking industry. The banking industry as used
here refers to any economic activity that is carried on by firms licensed to
transfer funds from the surplus unit of the economy to the deficit unit of the
economy.
In terms of
context, this work will attempt to consider the factors and other matters that
pertain to relationship selling and salesman performance in the Nigerian
banking industry. Thus, other unrelated activities of the Nigerian banks might
not be reflected completely unless they have a bearing on the research
objectives.
In the course of
this study, it is very possible that there would be certain constraints or
limitations. One of such limitations include the fact that due to scope of the
research work, the researcher might be limited pertaining the depth of
literature and other concerns that relates to the banking industry as the
researcher would have to concentrate on matters that bother on bank bankruptcy.
1.8 Definition
of Terms
Personal selling:Oral
presentation that takes place between a salesman and one ormore potential
customers with the objective of closing the sale.
Relationship selling:All
selling activities directed toward establishing,developing, and maintaining
successful relational exchanges between thesalesperson and the customer –either
an organization or an individual–, and,in turn, between the selling and the
buying companies. Also, this approachrequires the ongoing satisfaction of the
customer needs, both those related tothe product as well as the interaction.
Sales performance:Sales
performance is the measurement of the number of sales that an employee makes
for a business. Sales performance looks at the amount of sales made versus the
amount of customers an employee comes in contact with.
Service industry: The
service industries involve industries pertain the provision of services to
businesses as well as final consumers.
Sales management:
involves planning the sellingprogram and implementing and controlling
thepersonal selling effort of the firm.
Salesforce assessment:
involvesdetermining whether or not salesobjectives were met and whetheraccount
management policies werefollowed.
Interpersonal skills:
refer to mental and communication algorithms applied during social
communication and interaction to achieve certain effects and results
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