ASSESSING SALES FORCE MOTIVATION AS A PANACEA FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE IN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY. (CASE STUDY OF PZ CUSSONS PLC)

ABSTRACT

The study examines sales force motivation as a panacea for improved performance in manufacturing industry in PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc Aba.  The relevance of sales force in the face of harsh economic environment and in boosting sales volume cannot be relegated to the background.  Motivation whether extrinsic (i.e financial incentives) or intrinsic (i.e non-financial incentives), is a vital tool not only in compensating sales person but also in achieving a particular level of performance. To achieve the objectives of the study, correlational research design was adopted. A total of 47 questionnaires were filled and returned. The researcher adopted both primary and secondary data in getting the required information. In testing the hypothesis chi-square analysis was used. The findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between sales force motivation and improved performance in manufacturing industry. The researcher recommends that firm should increase their motivation incentives which will encourage sales force performance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page            -        -        -                 -        -        -         -        -        i

Declaration                  -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        ii

Certification                 -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        iii

Dedication                    -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        iv

Acknowledgement                -        -        -        -        -         -        -        v

Table of Contents        -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        vi

List of Tables               -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        ix

Abstract                       -        -        -        -                 -         -        -        x

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             -        -        -        -         -        -        3

1.5    Research Hypotheses          -        -        -        -         -        -        4

1.6    Significance of the Study               -        -        - -        -        4

1.7    Scope of the Study               -        -        -        -         -        -        5

1.8    Limitations of the Study                 -        -        -         -        -        5

1.9    Definition of Technical Terms         -        -        -         -        -        6

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1    Conceptual Framework                  -        -        -         -        -        7

2.2    Review of Related Literature          -        -        -         -        -        9

2.2.1 Effect of Motivation on Sales Force Performance             -        9

2.2.2 Motivation Factor That Affect Sales Force Performance       -        9

2.2.3  Application of Motivation Factor by Firm for Improved

Sales force performance                -        -        -         -        -        11

2.3    Recruitment and Selection of Sales Force                -        -        12

2.3.1 Designing Sales Force Strategy and Structure          -        -        13

2.3.2 Development and Supervision of Sales Force           -        -        14

2.4    Compensating and Evaluating Sales Force Performance       -        14

2.5    Motivation Definition and Development Motivation plan  -        16

2.6    Techniques for Measuring Motivation               -         -        -        17

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1    Research Design         -        -        -        -        -         -        -        19

3.2    Study Area          -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        19

3.3         Population of the Study                  -        -        -         -        -        19

3.4    Sampling procedure and Sampling size           -         -        -        20

3.5    Data Collection Procedure             -        -        -         -        -        21

3.5.1 Instruments(s)             -        -        -        -        -         -        -        21

3.5.2 Validity and Reliability           -        -        -        -         -        -        21

3.5.3 Administration              -        -        -        -        -         -        -        21

3.6    Data Analysis Procedure               -        -        -         -        -        22

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

4.1    Data Presentation                 -        -        -        -         -        -        24

4.2    Test of Hypothesis                -        -        -        -         -        -        29

4.3    Discussion of Findings                   -        -        -         -        -        -        32

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1    Summary of Findings            -        -        -        -         -        -        33

5.2    Conclusion          -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        33

5.3    Recommendation                 -        -        -        -         -        -        34

Reference           -        -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        35

Questionnaire

LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1:  Distribution of questionnaire and response rate   -        24

Table 4.2:  Distribution of respondents according to age                   -        24

Table 4.3:  Distribution of respondents according to education

qualification         -        -        -        -        -         -        -        25

Table 4.4:  Distribution of respondents according to years of

services     -        -        -        -        -        -         -        -        25

Table 4.5:  Religion             -        -        -        -        -         -        -        25

Table 4.6:  Motivation has a positive influence on sales performance       26

Table 4.7:  Motivation factors increase performance of sales force -        26

Table 4.8:  Without health motivation incentives sales force

performance will not be profitability         -         -        -        27

Table 4.9:   Appreciation of sales force performance make them work stronger               -        -         -        -        -        -        -        27

Table 4.10: Giving sales force sense of belonging in the organization

affect their performance -      -        -        -         -        -        28

Table 4.11: Using security incentives affects sales force performance 28

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    Background of the Study

Sales force is a company’s sale people that locate prospective buyers and maintain customers’ satisfaction and patronage.  The sales force through setting, forms the core of socio-economic process as well as varied physical tasks that help in satisfy certain human need.

Nwokoye and Nonyelu (2000), observed that “personal setting allows great flexibility in shaping the firms message to the individual needs and behaviour of each customer”.  The sales force is entrusted with the task of taking the customers through the purchase decision process with the primary objective of obtaining their movement.

Sales force performance is the effort, output or productivity of the sales people.  It will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative bases.  Evaluating preference not only help in rewarding sales but will help in making constructive proposal for improvements.

Motivation according to Nwokoye and Nonyelu (2000) is being defined as “the driving force behind behaviour and shall be use synonymously with needs and desires.

Motivation can come in form of monetary incentives, materials incentives, charismatic leadership, appreciation etc.  The thrust of these study shall be to determine the influence of motivation on sales force performance.  To know whether the impact or effect is negative and positive.  To achieve the aim of the PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Aba subsidiary is being use as the study.  Pz Cussons Nigeria formerly Paterson Zochonis Industries Plc. is a Nigeria based company.

The primary activities of PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc. is to manufacture of soaps, detergents, toiletries, pharmaceutical, electrical goods, edible oils and nutritional product.

The product performance is efficiency and effectively use as being noted by adult, youth etc. Pz Cussons Nigeria Plc. is being known as a standardize product.  The Aba branch is one of the 26 depots of the company in Nigeria.

         1.2         Statement of the Problem

Sales force performance is expected to improve but management inability to properly describe the task to be performed by the sales force have impose a serious problem to management.

Low sales force morale, harsh business, dwindling sales volume and market share of most companies; which some researchers and analyst attribute to stiff competition are serious problems and of concern to companies.

To determine effective motivation is difficult due to model that represent effectiveness in staff motivation by way of not recognizing excellence with compensation through gift, payment of bonus, commission, appreciation etc.  

         1.3         Objectives of the Study

The general objective is to examine sales force motivation. However the specific objectives include to:

      i.         Examine the effect of motivation on sales force performance.

    ii.         Ascertaining the motivational factors that affect sales force performance.

   iii.         Examine how firms apply motivational factors to improve sales force performance.

1.4    Research Questions

The research questions under consideration are:

i.         How does sales force motivation increase sales force performance?

ii.        What are the motivation factors that affect sales force performance?

iii.      How do firms apply motivation factor to improve sales force performance?

         1.5         Research Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1:

Ho₁:  There is no significant relationship between sales force performance and motivation.

Hypothesis 2:

Ho₂:  There are no significant motivational factors and sales force performance.

Hypothesis 3:

Ho₃:  Increase in sales force performance does not depend on how motivation is applied.

1.6    Significance of the Study

Results from this study will benefit the sales of different organization and the organization, students and researchers.

Sales force benefits from the organization through recognition of their hard work to move the organization forward and compensating sales effectiveness through health and sound incentives.  The organization will benefit from sales force team and they increase brand awareness heightened company loyalty and increase revenue.

The student performance will be enhance academically when tend to carry out further research in future.

It will widen the researcher scope of knowledge in his field.

1.7    Scope of the Study

The study will be carried out in Aba, Aba the major city in Abia State. The study will examine sales force motivation as a panacea for improved performance in organization.  This study will look at some sale measures designed to motivate the sales force, sales force evaluating the performance of the sales force to their supervision and formulating sales force objection and task.

1.8   Limitations of the Study

The perceived limitations to this study include the following among others:

i.          Financial constraints; Due to lack of finance, the researcher will depend on locally source of material from textbook, journals etc but it could have been better if the fiancé is sufficient.

ii.         Time constraint:  Covering and studying widely could have expose the researcher more but the time stipulated by the authority will limit the work.

iii.       Material factor:  It could have been great and quite motivating if there are enough materials for this research work, but due to insufficient materials the researcher depend on locally for source of material.

1.9    Definition of Technical Terms

Sales force is a company’s sales representatives that local prospective buyers, converting them into customers and to maintain customer satisfaction.

Motivation is a psychological force that directs a person behaviour and is based on needs and desires. 

Buyers has the right to create dispute within seven (7) days of purchase for 100% refund request when you experience issue with the file received. 

Dispute can only be created when you receive a corrupt file, a wrong file or irregularities in the table of contents and content of the file you received. 

ProjectShelve.com shall either provide the appropriate file within 48hrs or send refund excluding your bank transaction charges. Term and Conditions are applied.

Buyers are expected to confirm that the material you are paying for is available on our website ProjectShelve.com and you have selected the right material, you have also gone through the preliminary pages and it interests you before payment. DO NOT MAKE BANK PAYMENT IF YOUR TOPIC IS NOT ON THE WEBSITE.

In case of payment for a material not available on ProjectShelve.com, the management of ProjectShelve.com has the right to keep your money until you send a topic that is available on our website within 48 hours.

You cannot change topic after receiving material of the topic you ordered and paid for.