B1 - Sales Management Design for Value-Creating Sales

• Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Christian Schmitz
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Accounting und Finance
• Förderung: Förderung von 2018 bis 2023
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 407482059

The prevalent transformation from product-centred to value-centred business models poses considerable challenges for sales managers. In this transformation, it is one of sales managers’ primary tasks to ensure that the sales force is endowed with the required capabilities and selling strategies to succeed in value-creating sales. To accomplish this task, sales managers need to design a work environment for their sales force that allows salespeople to unfold their potential in value-centred business models. Therefore, effective sales management, tailored to the demands of value-creating sales, constitutes a key success factor for implementing value-centred business models.However, despite its relevance, articles examining the role of sales management for value-centred business models are rare. While a few selected contributions approach the subject conceptually or qualitatively, quantitative research on sales management design factors in value-creating sales barely exists.This sets the starting point for project B1, which has the overarching goal to comprehensively examine the sales management design factors that foster value-centred work environments for salespeople in for value-centred business models. More precisely, the research project exhibits three goals. As a critical first step, Goal 1 aims at conceptualizing a framework which describes a sales force work environment conducive for value-creating business models. In Goal 2 we seek to identify effective salesperson selection, leadership, incentive and training practices that foster a value-centred work environment. Eventually, Goal 3 aims at exploring the influence of the organizational context on the design as well as the consequences of value-centred work environments.To accomplish these goals, we will conduct four work modules over a period of three years. Module 1 provides the conceptual basis for the project and is necessary for the preparation of the quantitative study. To this end, Module 1 comprises the steps of a comprehensive literature review, corresponding development of conceptual model and, consecutively, development of an eligible study design and measurement tools.Module 2 focuses on planning and executing the quantitative studies conceptualised in Module 1. Specifically, we will acquire participating companies, prepare the study, and ultimately execute the study.Module 3 comprises the validation and analysis of the collected data to test our hypotheses developed in module 2. To accomplish this, in this module we will edit the data, analyse the data, and report the results.In Module 4 we will discuss our analyses with the scientific community and publish the results. To accomplish this, we will attend conferences and submit our manuscripts to high-ranking journals.

• DFG-Verfahren: Sachbeihilfen
• Mitverantwortliche: Professor Dr. Sascha Alavi; Professorin Dr. Eva Böhm; Professor Dr. Jan Wieseke