Can buzzing bring business? Social interactions, network centrality and sales performance: An empirical study on business-to-business communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 170-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Zhang ◽  
Baozhou Lu ◽  
Haidong Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Network Centrality ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Interactions Network

Elucidating salespeople's market orientation, proactive service behavior and organizational culture in the B2B banking sector: a Malaysian perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1033-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iskandar Hamzah ◽  
Abdul Kadir Othman ◽  
Faridah Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Market ◽  
Service Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Business To Business

PurposeConsidering that little is known on market orientation at the individual level, this study investigates the effects of individual market orientation on proactive service behavior, and subsequently, sales performance among business-to-business salespeople. Based on social cognitive theory and competing values framework, this paper also examines the interaction effects of organizational culture on the link between individual market orientation and proactive service behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe study sampled 539 business-to-business salespeople from 18 corporate banks in Kuala Lumpur by using a questionnaire survey.FindingsThe results of the study show that adhocracy culture strengthens the effects of information acquisition on proactive service behavior, while at the same time weakens the impact of coordination of strategic response on the same outcome. Meanwhile, rational culture displayed negative contingent effects of information dissemination on proactive service behavior.Practical implicationsGiven its link to sales performance and proactive service behavior, banks should motivate their employees to embrace market orientation as individual competencies. This research outcome will aid managers in developing strategies and inculcating the right culture to ensure the market-oriented behaviors are internalized and transpired into positive outcomes.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the enrichment of the existing market orientation frameworks by offering underlying mechanisms (cultural environment and proactive service behavior) through which market-oriented behaviors contribute to the sales performance of business-to-business salespeople within the financial service industry. It is also among the earliest studies that examine the influence of individual market orientation and organizational culture on proactive service behavior.

The use of social media among business-to-business sales professionals in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith E. Niedermeier ◽  
Emily Wang ◽  
Xiaohan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Sales Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sales Professionals ◽  
Sales Process ◽  
Successful Business ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Business To Business

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the role of social media usage among business-to-business sales professionals in China. Specifically, the authors seek to define and explore the unique ways in which Chinese salespeople use social media, with a special emphasis on the role of guanxi. Guanxi is a complex cultural construct that revolves around the exchange of favors to build trust and connection for business purposes. Design/methodology/approach – Three in-depth interviews of sales managers from two industries along with survey data from 42 pharmaceutical sales representatives were collected to gain an understanding of the general usage and attitudes toward social media in the sales process in China. Findings – Results indicated that virtually all the salespeople in the sample were highly familiar with social media and integrated it into the sales process. Furthermore, all participants indicated that their companies were highly supportive of the use of social media with their customers. More importantly, salespeople in China view social media as a critical tool in building guanxi with their customers. Findings from this exploratory study are used to create a conceptual framework for understanding the important role of social media in building guanxi in China. Research limitations/implications – While the sample is limited to three managerial interviews and 42 survey responses, the data indicated a near universal acceptance and use of social media among Chinese salespeople. Most importantly, social media appears to be the modern gateway to the ancient and culturally unique construct of guanxi that is absolutely indispensable to successful business-to-business sales performance in China. Practical implications – The structural challenges within China make trust and emotional connection essential to any potential business relationship. Trust is at the core of guanxi. Any firm hoping to succeed in China must understand guanxi and the use of Chinese social media to help build it. This study adds to the knowledge and understanding of guanxi and begins to elucidate the uses of social media as a tool to build and maintain it. Social implications – Social media appears to be the modern gateway to the ancient and culturally unique construct of guanxi that is absolutely indispensable to successful business-to-business sales performance in China. This study deepens our understanding of not only guanxi but also how the modern phenomenon of social media is affecting it. Originality/value – This is one of very few studies to investigate the use of social media among salesforces in China. More importantly, the authors know of no other study linking social media with guanxi.

Network centrality and multiplexity: a study of sales performance

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.P. Claro ◽  
G.R. Gonzalez ◽  
P.B.O. Claro
Keyword(s):  
Sales Performance ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Network Centrality ◽  
Firm Resources ◽  
Performance Impact ◽  
Focal Firm ◽  
Job Promotion ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Conceptual Work ◽  
Specific Impact

Network literature suggests that individual embeddedness leads to performance. The authors argue that resources from intra-firm social networks are critical for gaining advantages. The contribution of the paper lies at the performance impact of the network position. Previous studies have considered two alternative views, degree and closeness, of network centrality that have been shown to impact job promotion, innovation diffusion, and wage increase. To our knowledge no work has been done to identify the specific impact of the network on sales performance. Moreover, two different types of network relations were focused on in order to analyze the multiplexity of ties: friendship and advice. Conceptual work has suggested the impact of overlapping ties on performance, however elaborated empirical evidence is lacking. Estimates from a sample of salespeople in a focal firm of input supplies reveal that having many direct ties (degree centrality) and multi-dimensional relations (advice and friendship) positively influences a salesperson's performance. The results demonstrate that salespeople can structure intra-firm ties in order to leverage firm resources and enhance individual performance.

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