Rodriguez, Gillespie present at National Conference of Sales Management

Michael Rodriguez, Erin Gillespie[/caption]Assistant professors of marketing Michael Rodriguez and Erin Gillespie presented their paper, “Turnover and the Sales Force,” at the 2014 National Conference of Sales Management held April 9-12 in Miami, Fla.

The paper abstract reads:

Turnover among the sales force can be a significant problem that can be traced back to improper management of the sales force. In this study, a model is developed that measures salesperson perceptions about their organizational support, sales training, role clarity, and relationship with sales management. The model was tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS) to assess the overall impact of drivers on job satisfaction and likelihood of leaving the sales position. Results showed that organizational support, sales training, and role clarity were positive forces on job satisfaction and that positive job satisfaction resulted in likelihood of not leaving or lower turnover. A discussion of the findings and implications are provided for sales managers.

During the conference, Rodriguez also presented “A Conceptual Model of the Drivers and Outcomes of Mobile CRM Application Adoption.”

The paper abstract reads:

Many organizations still struggle with sales force technology implementation because of low user adoption rates. The ubiquity of mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablets, and the proliferation of mobile customer relationship management (mCRM) applications, may lead to increased CRM adoption and higher returns on CRM technology investments. While anecdotal evidence suggests that mCRM applications are easier for salespeople to adopt and use than traditional CRM technologies, sales researchers have yet to examine mCRM or its relationship to sales performance. This research draws from the rich body of sales technology literature to forward a conceptual model of the drivers and outcomes of mCRM adoption.

The National Conference of Sales Management focuses on disseminating knowledge in the areas of sales management and personal selling. It’s held annually in conjunction with the national convention of Pi Sigma Epsilon, the national fraternity for marketing, professional selling and sales management.