Cross-Cultural Personal Selling: Agents’ competences in international personal selling of services

172 Pages·2017·2.31 MB·English

by  Anna Antczak

CROSS-CULTURAL
PERSONAL SELLING
Agents’ competences
in international personal
selling of services
Anna Antczak
Barbara A. Sypniewska
Cross-Cultural Personal Selling
Anna Antczak
Barbara A. Sypniewska
Cross-Cultural
Personal Selling
’
Agents competences in international
personal selling of services
Anna Antczak Barbara A. Sypniewska
Vistula University University ofFinance and Management
Warsaw Warsaw
Poland Poland
ISBN978-3-319-55576-8 ISBN978-3-319-55577-5 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-55577-5
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017935391
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Knowledge is power
To everyone who has the desire to know more
Contents
Introduction xv
1 The Notion of Competence 1
2 Personal Selling in the Service Sector as One Marketing
Promotional Tool 35
3 Competences in International Personal Selling 57
’ —
4 Personal Sellers Competences Research Remarks 83
’
5 The Role of Agent s Characteristics and Competences
in Personal Selling in Higher Education
—
Sector Research Remarks 107
6 Conclusions 141
Index 157
vii
List of Figures
Fig. 2.1 Relative impact of promotion activities. Source Adapted
from Langeard and Mayer (1975: 255) 38
Fig. 2.2 The role of personal selling in the overall marketing
process. Source Own elaboration based on Blythe
(2000: 260) 41
Fig. 2.3 Steps in the personal selling process. Source
Own elaboration based on Armstrong and Kotler
(2013: 434) 45
Fig. 2.4 Contemporary sales process elements importance.
Source Own elaboration based on the literature analysis 46
Fig. 2.5 The structure (levels) of the educational product
at university level. Source Own elaboration 54
Fig. 3.1 Cultural model of personal selling interactions.
Source Adapted from Macquin et al. (2000: 76) 65
Fig. 5.1 Scree plot for the elements of an agent’s activities.
Source Elaboration based on own research 111
Fig. 5.2 Scree plot for evaluation of an agent’s activities.
Source Elaboration based on own research 111
ix
x List of Figures
Fig. 5.3 Average results for the importance of certain elements
of an agent’s activity among the Asian and European
respondents—statistically significant differences.
Source Elaboration based on own research 115
Fig. 5.4 Average results for the importance of certain elements
of an agent’s activity with respect to sex among the
European respondents—statistically significant differences.
Source Elaboration based on own research 123
Fig. 5.5 Average results for the importance of certain elements of an
agent’s activity among the respondents from Central and
South Asia—statistically significant differences.
Source Elaboration based on own research 136
List of Tables
Table 1.1 Competence according to management levels 8
Table 1.2 Differences between individual and organizational
competences 12
Table 1.3 Division of competences 13
Table 2.1 Personal selling functions and possibilities
of their replacement 50
Table 3.1 Time-related cultural differences 62
Table 3.2 Influence of culture on face-to-face negotiations 64
Table 3.3 Sales strategy 67
Table 3.4 Winners’ success strategies 69
Table 3.5 Characteristics of professional vendor 70
Table 4.1 Spearman’s q rank correlation estimate between age
of the respondents and the answers in individual
scales and subscales 86
Table 4.2 Average results for competence indicators among men
and women with statistical significance test 87
Table 4.3 Frequency distribution within the motivation scale
with statistical significance test 89
Table 4.4 Frequency distribution within the customer orientation
scale with statistical importance test 90
xi
xii List of Tables
Table 4.5 Frequency distribution within the coping with stress
scale with statistical importance test 92
Table 4.6 Frequency distribution within the learning scale
with statistical importance test 93
Table 4.7 Frequency distribution within the knowledge
and experience scale with statistical importance test 95
Table 4.8 Frequency distribution within the interpersonal
communication scale with statistical importance test 96
Table 4.9 Frequency distribution within the leadership scale
with statistical importance test 99
Table 4.10 Frequency distribution within the attitude towards
work scale with statistical importance test 100
Table 5.1 Average results for the importance of certain elements
of an agent’s activity among the Asian and European
respondents with statistical significance test 113
Table 5.2 Average results for evaluation of an agent’s behavior
and activity among European and Asian respondents
with statistical significance test 117
Table 5.3 Frequency distribution—opinions of Asian
and European respondents on the role of the agent
or university representative in choosing the university 119
Table 5.4 Frequency distribution—opinions on factors
influencing Asian and European respondents’ decisions
about choosing the university 119
Table 5.5 Frequency distribution—opinions of Asian and
European respondents with respect to the importance
of the first impression 120
Table 5.6 Average results for the importance of certain elements
of an agent’s activity with respect to sex among the
European respondents with statistical significance test 122
Table 5.7 Average results for evaluation of an agent’s behavior
and activity among European respondents with respect
to sex with statistical significance test 124
Table 5.8 Frequency distribution of opinions on the role
of the agent or university representative in choosing
the university with respect to sex of the European
respondents 125