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Table of Contents
3‐16
Industry Evolution: A Case of China’s Air Purifier Industry ‐ Dr. Chuanyin Xie
17‐31
The Political Economy of China’s Energy Policy and 5‐Year Economic Development Plans: Implications for the World’s Energy Markets ‐ Dr. Raphael Shen
32‐44
Using Brand Equity and Personality Metrics to Predict the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election ‐ Dr. Richard Monahan
45‐58
Happy to Be Aboard… Or Thinking of Jumping Ship: Factors Affecting Newcomer Retention in Business and Educational Settings ‐Dr. Joan Berry and Kenneth Guy Berry
59‐100
The Platinum Rule in Personal Selling: A Rule or a Myth ‐ Kim Tan
Industry Evolution: A Case of China’s Air Purifier Industry
Chuanyin Xie The University of Tampa
Research Background China’s air purifier industry: Relatively new − Air purifiers appeared in mid-1990s − Promising future predicted by industry analysts − No growth for more than a decade ● A surge of entry in recent years − Multinational corporations − Domestic firms Very low penetration rate Most firms were struggling; exits already started − Competitors: 20% of reduction in 2015
4
Research Question
The evolution of the air purifier industry in the past and
in the future − What factors have affected the industry evolution in the past? Will they affect the industry evolution differently in the future? − What will be the next step of the industry evolution? Has industry shakeout already started as predicted by industry analysts (Li, 2015; Lian, 2015)?
5
Industry Evolution Theories Industry life cycle: one of the most enduring concepts in the
field of marketing (Day, 1981) − The early stages of industry evolution tend to be uncertain (Eggers, 2014)
● Common structural features in the early stages (Geroski,
2003) − Huge surge of entry − Competing technologies tend to exist − Markets are often fluid
6
China’s Air Purifier Industry Triggers of Industry Entry Smog in the winter 2011 − Pollution persistent since then Air pollution and air purifier − Outdoor vs. indoor ● Chinese people’s main concerns and indoor air purification − PM 2.5 − Gaseous pollutants (formaldehyde, odors, etc.) − Microbial pollutants (bacteria, viruses, etc.)
7
Competitors, Entry and Exit Number of competitors − 2013: 151 − 2014: 556 − Early 2015: 836 − Late 2015: 673
● Domestic firms vs. foreign firms − Domestic firms: accounting for 80% − Foreign firms: controlling 80% of the market
● Diversified firms vs. specialized firms
8
Competitive Strategy and Performance Product and Technology − Combining technologies Pricing Distribution channels − Offline vs. online Promotion Performance − Less than 3% of firms accounted for more than 80% of industry sales (Xu, 2015)
9
Air Purifier Technologies and Their Characteristics Technologies HEPA filters
Pros
Cons
Effective in removing 99.97% of 0.3-micrometer particles No ozone production or other harmful byproducts Effective in removing viruses, harmful gases, and odors
Effective in absorbing airborne particles, harmful gases, and odors Effective in removing harmful gases and viruses
Activated carbon Negative ion generator Photocatalytic oxidation Ultraviolet light
Electrostatic filters
Effective in sterilizing air that passes UV lamps via forced air Able to remove airborne particles, viruses, and odors Relatively longer lifespan
Short lifespan Ineffective in removing viruses, harmful gases and odors Short lifespan Ineffective in removing airborne particles Ozone production
Ineffective in removing airborne particles Ozone production Ineffective in removing airborne particles May not be as effective as traditional filters 10
Consumers Household vs. organizational − Household: health conscious; children/senior people/pregnant women; education Mainstream customers − Limited knowledge and skeptical attitude (Li, 2016) Purchasing behavior ● Purchasing criteria − Survey report (China Advertisement, 2015): cleaning effectiveness; multiple functions; brand; price; after-sales service; aesthetics ● Price expectations
11
Competitive Behavior and Industry Regulation Inappropriate promotions ̶ Overstating, misleading, and even cheating (Jing, 2015) Industry standards ̶ New industry standard took effect in March 2016 Impact on business ̶ Less irregular practices ̶ Raised bar for doing business ̶ Increased entry barrier
12
Evolution of China’s Air Purifier Industry In the Past The Chinese air purifier industry shared some common
structural features identified in the West Market entry and market size are often negatively correlated (Agarwal et al, 2002; Geroskib, 2003) ̶
Why rush into a market where not enough customers
support it ̶
Perceived market potential ̶
Low entry barrier ̶
Limited knowledge (consumer) and low customer loyalty assumption (competitor)
13
Evolution of China’s Air Purifier Industry Influencing Factors Co-evolution model (Nayak & Maclean, 2013) ̶ The interactions among institutions, organizations, and individuals The evolution of the air purifier industry in the past ̶
Institutions ̶
Competitors (organizations) ̶
Consumers (individuals)
The evolution of the air purifier industry in the future ̶
Institutions ̶
Competitors (organizations) ̶
Consumers (individuals)
14
Air Purifier Industry Evolution Near Future
ď‚— Is the air purifier industry still in the early stages of its life
cycle? ď‚— Has industry shakeout/consolidation already started?
15
Q&As
Thank you!
16
China’s Energy Policy and 5‐Year Economic Development Plans: Implications for the World’s Energy Markets Raphael Shen, Ph.D. Professor and Chairperson Department of Economics Victoria Mantzpoulos, Ph.D. Professor and Associate Dean College of Liberal Arts and Education University of Detroit Mercy
A Background Note Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China atop Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949 After more than a quarter century of unstable growth, the Chinese economy remained among the rank of the world’s less developed countries when Mao’s demise came in 1976. Deng Xiao‐Ping replaced Mao as China’s paramount leader by the late 1970s. With the approval of the Chinese Communist Party’s third plenary session of the Eleventh Central Committee in December, 1978, systemic reform took its first tentative step in the farm sector.
State Planning Commission The State Planning Commission (SPC) was established in 1952 for drafting the 5‐Year Plans. Objectives of development‐plans for each of the 5‐Year Plans were established by the members of the Politburo of the Community Party. The end result of central planning for Mao’s 27 years of reign left China’s economy in extensive disarray, tracing farther and farther behind its neighboring economies’ performances.
Five‐Year Plans after Mao
Deng Xiaoping. reform should be GRADUAL, PHASED,
ORDERLY, and be based on ECONOMIC RATIONALITY
The focus of reform was “ADJUST, REFORM, RECTIFY, AND IMPROVE.”
National Development and Reform Commission Three‐tiered pricing system
Shift from the farm sector to urban and industrial sectors
Five‐Year Plans The 5th Plan (1976‐1980) The 6th Plan (1981‐1985) The 7th Plan (1986‐1990) The 8th Plan (1991‐1995) The 9th Plan (1996‐2000) The 10th Plan (2001‐2005) The 11th Plan (2006‐2010) The 12th Plan (2011‐2015) The 13th Plan (2016‐2020)
GDP Annual Growth (%) to Target (%) 16
14
12
Percent
10
8
6
4
2
0 1990
2000
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Year GDP %
Target
2011
2012
2013
2014
Export Growth (%) 35
30
Percent Growth
25
20
15
10
5
0 1990
2000
2006
2007
2008
2009
Year Export Growth(%)
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Energy Use per $1000 GDP (% Decline) 18 16 14
Percent
12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2011
2012
2013
Year Reduction(%)
Target(%)
2014
Research and Development (% GDP) 2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0 2000
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Reaserch and Development(% GDP)
2011
2012
2013
2014
Natural Gas Domestic Production and Consumption (bcm) 200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Production
Consumption
Gross Electricity Generation (GWH) 1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Geothermal
Solar
Hydro
Gross Electricity Generation Solar PV, Tide, Wind 160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Solar PV
Tide, Wave, Ocean
Wind
Share of Wind and Solar in Electricity Production (%) 4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Wind and Solar
Thank you….
USING BRAND EQUITY AND PERSONALITY METRICS TO PREDICT THE 2016 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Dr. Richard Monahan Adjunct Professor American Public University
“We are not thinking machines . We are feeling machines that think.� Antonio Damasio
Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictive power of the Multidimensional Brand Equity construct and Aaker’s Brand Personality Scale in determining the outcome of the 2016 U.S. election.
Literature Review: Brand Equity Yoo, B., & Donthu, N. (2001). Developed and validated a multidimensional consumerbased brand equity scale. Journal of Business Research, 52(1), 1–14.
Brand Personality Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356.
Methodology The study design used survey research to assess candidate brand equity, and brand personality of U.S. presidential candidates (i.e., Hillary Clinton [D], Donald Trump [R]), from a sample of registered voters. Respondents were registered voters recruited from various parts of the country. Respondents were asked a series of statements taken from the brand equity and personality scales and to indicate their agreement on a five point Likert scale.
Sample There were 490 surveys sent out and 415 were usable for analysis.
Political Party
Gender Men‌
98 Indepen dents
Women 237
152 Republic ans
150 Democr ats
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
Other parties
Income
AGE
No answer 13%
18 to 29
60 and over
15 Other parties
45 to 69
22 Some‌
$25 to $49,000 18%
$125 to $149,999 8% 18 to 30
30 to 44
45 to 69
60 and over
$100 to $124,999 9% $75 to $99,999 14%
Education
$50 to $74,999 20%
High School Grads
109 Some College
143 College HS Graduates Some Gradscollege Some Graduate Post graduate
Less than $10,000 $10 to $24,999 2% 5%
Over $200,000 5% $175 to $199,999 1% $150 to $174,999 5%
30 to 44
102 Post Graduates
College grads
Location 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 New England
Middle Atlantic
South Atlantic
East North Central
West North Central
East South Central
Most Important Issue 35 Immigration 36 Crime
71 Terrorism 83 Race Relations
190 Economy
West South Central
Mountain
Pacific
Candidate MBE Brand Equity Scores Candidate Clinton
n 210
SD 1.275
Brand Equity 3.272
Trump
205
1.191
2.811
Candidate MBE Brand Equity Score by Party Candidate
Democrat M N
SD
Republican M N
Clinton
4.09
71
1.10
2.58
82
Trump
2.35
79
.818
3.54
70
SD
Independent M N
SD
Other Party M N
SD
1.01
3.01
48
1.00
2.77
9
.868
1.24
2.83
50
1.19
2.51
6
.998
Candidate MBE Brand Equity Score by Issue
Clinton
Economy M N SD 3.24 96 1.19
Immigration M N SD 2.56 14 1.24
Terrorism M N SD 3.25 42 1.34
Race Relations M N SD 3.49 38 1.27
M 3.54
Trump
2.74
3.64
3.02
2.49
2.68
94
1.12
21
1.39
29
1.22
45
0.96
Crime N SD 20 1.38 16
Candidate MBE Brand Equity Score by Gender
Clinton
M 3.21
N 90
Males SD 1.30
M 3.32
Females N 120
SD 1.26
Trump
3.01
88
1.19
2.66
117
1.14
1.14
Candidate Brand Personality Scores Candidate Clinton
n 210
SD 1.22
Brand Personality 2.90
Trump
205
1.28
2.30
Candidate Brand Personality Score by Party
Clinton
M 3.69
Trump
1.73
Democrat N SD 71 1.02 79
M 2.17
0.97
Republican N SD 82 1.06
3.05
70
M 2.68
1.30
Independent N SD 48 1.11
2.40
50
1.31
M 2.51
Other N 9
SD 1.05
2.14
6
0.99
Candidate Brand Personality Scores by Issue
Clinton
Economy M N SD 2.85 96 1.15
Immigration M N SD 2.21 14 1.10
Terrorism M N SD 2.83 42 1.31
Race Relations M N SD 3.19 38 1.11
M 3.21
Trump
2.74
3.64
3.02
2.49
2.68
94
1.12
21
1.39
29
1.23
45
0.97
Crime N SD 20 1.46 16
Candidate Brand Personality Scores by Gender
Clinton
M 2.75
N 90
Males SD 1.27
M 3.01
Females N 120
SD 1.17
Trump
2.44
88
1.19
2.17
117
1.22
1.14
Discussion of Results
Brand Equity 1. The brand equity rating for Hillary Clinton was a stronger rating than Donald Trump. This would indicate Mrs. Clinton should be favored to win the election. This was demonstrated in the polling data at the time of data collection. 2. If we are to consider past elections, we can foresee that the results of a presidential election are heavily dependent on the voting of independent voters. The results of this study indicated that Mrs. Clinton is still ahead but by a lesser margin, Clinton (3.01) and Trump (2.83). 3. The vast majority of respondents indicated that the economy was the single most important issue facing the United States. This appears to be good news for Clinton in that the brand equity scores for respondents that placed a higher importance on the economy was Clinton (3.24) to Trump (2.74) but once again very close. 4. The only score that Mr. Trump was well ahead on was immigration, which was (3.64) to Mrs. Clinton’s (2.56). 5. Another indicator in Mrs. Clinton’s favor is the difference in brand equity rating for men and for women. Men scored Mrs. Clinton (3.21) and Trump (3.01). Women scored Trump at (2.66) and Clinton at (3.31).
Brand Personality 1) The brand personality ratings were also in Mrs. Clinton’s favor. The total rating for Clinton was (2.89) and (2.29) for Trump but still relatively weak. Once again, the ratings by independent voters was much closer in value, Clinton with (2.67) and Trump (2.39). 2) In a past study, (Monahan, 2015), it was determined that the personality factor sincerity had the greatest relationship to voting intention. 3) In terms of excitement, which is an indicator of voter enthusiasm, Trump was higher among independents with (2.87) to Clinton’s (2.58). This aspect was surprising in the it was thought that there would be more excitement for Mrs. Clinton because of the historic nature of Mrs. Clinton’s candidacy as the first woman nominee for President from a major political party. 4) Clinton’s brand personality ratings were higher than Trump on 3 of the 5 issues and Trump was ahead on immigration and terrorism. 5) As far as Gender is men gave Mrs. Clinton a personality rating of (2.75) and Trump at (2.44). Alternatively, women scored Clinton at (3.0) and Trump at 2.17).
Conclusion 1. This study gives Hillary Clinton the advantage in the upcoming presidential election but there doesn’t seem to be strong conviction for either candidate. 2. The scores of the Independents do indicate the possibility that voters could still be swayed one way or the other between now and the election. 3. The lack of enthusiasm and the relatively low scores for both candidates indicate that the dynamic could change between now and the election. The debates for example could allow Mrs. Clinton to strengthen her lead or for Mr. Trump to close the gap.
Future Research Candidates would do well to focus on these kind of metrics rather than on polling data. I think that these are more stable than polls. Any candidate would do well to test how they can compare with others on these before they even decide to run for election. Using this data, I can offer advice for both candidates. Mr. Trump might do well to link immigration an issue that he does well in to the economy where Mrs. Clinton beats him. Given the lack of enthusiasm for either candidate, I would encourage Mrs. Clinton to refrain from labeling anyone who disagrees with her as sexist, simply because I do not think that this issue carries a great deal of currency n this election. Her strengths on the economy and race relations and she should focus on these issues when attacking Mr. Trump.
Happy to Be Aboard…Or Thinking of Jumping Ship! Factors Affecting Newcomers in Business and Educational Settings
Presented for the
Center for Scholastic Inquiry Annual Conference October 2016 Joan Berry , EdD Associate Dean for Education University of Mary Hardin-Baylor jberry@umhb.edu
Kenneth Guy Berry, MBA Chief Operating Officer Arrowhead Health Centers Guy.Berry@arrowheadhealth.com
Fifty percent of new teachers leave the field of education entirely within five years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the overall workforce attrition rate at 3.1 percent. Most of the leavers are assumed to relocate to similar organizations. However, employee turnover in business varies widely with each industry.
Recruitment efforts are expensive. On‐the‐job training is expensive. Quality of service is negatively impacted by high employee attrition. In terms of education, student achievement is negatively impacted.
Traditional approaches to the problem may not be enough.
Mentoring Induction programs On‐the‐job training ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL! “When you say treat the newcomers like family, do you mean like blood kin or like in‐ laws?”
What is SENSEMAKING? Sensemaking is a way of looking at how individuals think about, react to, and change because of cues in a new environment. It involves three stages: • Anticipatory socialization • Encounter • Adaptation
Methodology Data collection and Sources
Findings
Practical vs. Idealistic Thinking
Significant Factors Impacting Novice Employee Job Satisfaction Anticipatory Socialization Business • • • • • •
Few surprises about job expectations Workload and hours in line with what was anticipated Job difficulty in line with expectations Realistic description of job expectations from recruiters High level of early support from peers and leadership Did not anticipate a transmissive job and were pleasantly surprised when it was.
Education • • • • • •
Many surprises about job requirements Workload and hours greater than anticipated Job was more difficult than expected Minimal description of job expectations from recruiters Support from peers more than from leadership Highly transmissive view of job – not always fulfilled
Adaptability and Empowerment
Significant Factors Impacting Novice Employee Job Satisfaction Encounter • • • • •
Business Encountered many challenges and surprises Felt free to ask for assistance Felt concerns were usually (but not always) addressed Took steps to remedy problem situations on their own Empowerment led to higher level of job satisfaction
• • • • •
Education Encountered many challenges and surprises Felt free to ask for assistance Felt concerns were often not addressed Took steps to remedy problem situations on their own Empowerment led to higher level of job satisfaction
Connection with an “Insider”
“I hope it’s not too much of an inconvenience. I am desperate to hold on to new employees.”
Significant Factors Impacting Novice Employee Job Satisfaction Adaptation
Both Business and Education • Found an assigned mentor somewhat helpful • Found leadership somewhat helpful • Relied heavily on “insider” support • Felt insider support was most valuable factor impacting satisfaction with employment (over salaries, on‐the‐job training, official mentors, empowerment, and prior experience)
Most Significant Factors Contributing to Job Satisfaction (Smooth Sailing) I. II. III. IV. V. VI.
Insider Support Ability to “make a difference” Empowerment Realistic expectations On‐the‐job training Salary
Implications • •
•
Corporate Leaders
How do we help pre‐service employees develop “practical knowledge” about the new role rather than idealistic and transmissive views? How do we encourage new employees to feel empowered to suggest changes (and how do we make sure they feel their suggestions are valued?) How do we facilitate the “insider” and “newcomer” relationship (and how do they know a good “insider” when they see one)?
Mentors/ Veteran Employees
Educational Leaders
Introduction and Background
Sales Force Training Evaluation, 2011 Recruiting Sales Professionals with Emotional Intelligence, 2012 The Evaluation of Sales Force Training in Retail Organizations: A Test of Kirkpatrick’s 4-level model, 2013 A Study of Communication Styles in Style Flexing, 2015 “The Platinum Rule in Personal Selling – a rule or a myth?”, 2016
Nordstrom’s no 1 sales person makes $2.3 million worth of men’s furnishings a year…watch the video
"The Platinum Rule in Personal Selling - a rule or a myth?"
Scottsdale, Arizona


What is Personal Selling? What is the Platinum Rule?
It’s all about building and maximizing
customer relationships It’s all about
connecting with customers and providing very personalized service
Personal Selling should be different now…..
It's no longer about finding The role of leads, making sales professional selling is presentations, and closing evolving from a deals. It’s about information provider connecting with customers, knowing their to a problem needs, and building long
solver and relationship builder.
lasting relationships. Good sales people are constantly “educating, consulting, and solving problems for their customers”
Sales organizations are now adopting selling models requiring their sales persons to be versatile,
customer-centric and have a
“win-win” mentality.
This is a significant change in how buyers buy and requires an equally significant change in how sellers sell. Today, customers have more control of the buying process. • Customers have multiple resources to identify, screen, and select vendors without contacting them. • Customers often reject sellers before the sellers even know they have been screened out. Traditional Sales Process Approach
New Buyer-Driven Approach
•The sales process was driven by the seller.
•Today, the buyer is in charge of the sale.
•Salespeople prospected and identified needs.
•The buyer identifies potential vendors and researches options on their own.
•Salespeople proposed solutions and closed the sale.
•The buyer defines criteria and finds who best matches these criteria.
For 3 years, MOHR, a research-based sales training and consulting firm surveyed, observed and interviewed nationwide more than 1,000 salespeople, thousands of their customers, as well as their support colleagues, to study how companies across industries are redesigning their sales models to succeed in the future “consultative� environment . They found the best performing sales people are using 7 emerging sales competencies: 1. establishing committed customer relationships; 2. listening beyond product needs; 3. aligning customer strategic objectives; 4. understanding the financial impact of decisions; 5. orchestrating organizational resources; 6. consultative problem solving; 7. engaging in self appraisal and continuous learning.
Overwhelming evidence and research studies have shown how sales persons’ adaptive
qualities can be a driver of successful sales performance
The definition of adaptive selling behavior is “the altering of sales behaviors during a customer interaction or across customer interactions based on perceived information about the nature of the selling situation” (Weitz, Sujan, & Sujan, 1986, p. 175).
Research Evidence
The more adaptive salesperson should not only be better able to close a single sale than a less adaptive salesperson, but also be able to successfully close multiple sales interactions. Evans (1963) suggested a dyadic approach to selling. He noted "the sale is a product of the particular dyadic interaction of a given salesman and prospect rather than a result of the individual qualities of either alone“. Weitz (1981) suggested that salespeople had unique opportunities to adapt to each customer and sales situation so that both the product/service offered for sale and the salesperson were presented in the most appealing manner. The ability to adapt sales behaviors “during a customer inter- action or across customer interactions based on perceived information about the nature of the selling situation” (Weitz, Sujan, and Sujan, 1986) should enhance the selling process and outcomes for both buyers and sellers. Weitz, Sujan and Sujan (1986) continued to evaluate the salesperson's ability to adapt to a variety of customers in different situations. More empirical research (more recent) on Adaptive Selling Behavior (ASB) included measures of adaptive selling and sales success .
Spiro and Weitz (1990)
Develops a 16-item ADAPTS scale to measure ASB and empirically test hypothesized relationships.
Sales performance, selfmonitoring,androgyny, empathy, openers, intrinsic motivation, locus of control, experience, and management.
268 sellers from 10 divisions of a major diagnostic equipment and supply company.
Correlation analysis.
ADAPTS scales seem internally consistent, but expected correlations with several variables were absent or weak.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA).
There is mixed support for ASB leading to sales performance.
Rank
In missionary sales contexts, al
correlation, Kendall’s W.
three stakeholder groups perceive ASB as being very important.
Gender differences were significant in those regressions relating to three of the five dimensions of sales performance and total performance.
Anglin, Stoltman, and Gentry (1990)
Tests if ASB is related to sales performance.
ASB and sales performance.
Weilbaker
Assesses selling abilities from
Importance rankings of
(1990)
the views of customers, sellers, and managers. Determines which of 15 skills (obtained from group interview) were ranked as “most important” by members of the three key groups. Within the context of ASB,
adaptive selling (as a selling skill) were measured.
62 sales reps and field managers for an agricultural products firm. 69 salespeople, managers, and buyers in the pharmaceutical industry.
Sales performance, self-
106 female/71 male
Regression
Goolsby, Lagace, and Boorom (1992)
investigates specifically the linkage between three adaptiveness traits and sales performance.
monitoring, psychological androgyny, and intrinsic reward orientation.
members of a professional sales association.
analysis.
Vink and Verbeke (1993)
Motivation to work, attributions for failures, reward orientations, and organizational characteristics.
201 employees from 50 randomly selected companies.
Factor analysis.
ASB is not the same as just “working smarter.” It is determined to be a more complex construct.
Bodkin and
Tests the robustness of the Sujan and Weitz (1985) model, which provides the “original conceptual framework for adaptive selling concept,” by replicating their study. Tests if several “situational
101 food distributors
t-tests and
Adapters show the greatest
Stevenson (1993)
variables” are related to ASB or ASBI.
Three ASBs: sales call planning, customer information gathering, competitor information gathering. Also, ASBI: intention to adapt.
and wholesalers.
discriminant analysis.
Siguaw (1993)
Identifies if ASB is related to any of eight personal selling variables.
Sales performance, effort, functional flexibility, education level, sales experience, etc.
306 personal sellers in the information and image management industry
ANOVA.
difference from non-adapters in sales call planning. Sales position characteristics distinguish the two types of sellers across ABS measures. Sales experience findings were mixed. ASB is positively related to sales experience, effort, functional flexibility, and sales performance.
Authors
Primary Focus
Measures Sales performance, working
Sample/Data 190 sellers in eight
Analysis Method
Summary of Findings
Sujan,
Uses ADAPTS to measure
Structural
Learning orientation is related
Weitz, and Kumar (1994)
ASB and includes it as a subcomponent of the “working smart” construct.
smart, learning orientation, working hard, performance orientation.
industries.
equation modeling (SEM).
positively to “working smart.”
Tanner (1994)
Determines if trade show sellers (booth attendants) adjust or vary aspects of their communication exchange based on three broad types of visitors (potential buyers).
Training level, booth experience, sales experience, and purpose.
58 booth attendants from producers and distributors of networking products, services, and data.
ANOVA.
Booth attendants adapt to the type of customer. Experience was unrelated to ASB. Training being received by the observed attendants did not seem to affect ASB.
Predmore
Determines whether observed
ASB and two measures of
50 sellers x 10 taped
Spearman
Telemarketers who adjust their
and Bonnice (1994)
ASB could predict sales performance.
sales performance.
sales calls each in industrial trade magazine sales.
rank correlation analysis.
communication style during the course of the sales exchange demonstrate higher sales performance.
Blackshear
Determines if ASB and
Five ASB scales, TSB measured
118 sales reps who
Factor and
Sellers’ behaviors have a positive
and
task-specific behaviors (TSB)
on four dimensions and three
were also assessed by
regression
impact on sales performance (SP).
Plank (1994)
affect sales performance.
measures of sales performance.
their managers.
analysis.
ASB seems to be positively related to SP. TSBs are relatively more important in effecting sales performance than ASB. Women report lower levels of role
Siguaw and
Examines gender-related
Job satisfaction, organizational
268 sellers from firms
Multivariate
Honeycutt
differences in industrial
commitment, role conflict/
listed in the membership
analysis of
conflict/ambiguity and higher levels
(1995)
salespeople.
ambiguity, sales performance, market orientation, customer orientation, and ASB.
roster of the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM).
variance (MANOVA).
of customer-oriented selling. They believe that they perform as well and do not require special consideration to succeed.
Marks,
Explores multidimensional
Sales performance, ASB, two
179 sellers from a major
Confirmatory
ADAPTS has two dimensions: one
Vorhies, and
nature of the ADAPTS scale
measures derived from ASB:
U.S. telecom equipment
factor analysis
related to beliefs and one related to
Badovick (1996)
and its significance for inferring construct validity.
ASbeliefs and ASbehaviors.
manufacturer.
(CFA) and SEM.
behaviors. ASbeliefs do not influence sales performance directly. ASB was positively related to sales performance.
DelVecchio and Oglethorpe (1997)
Tests the dimensionality of the ASB. ADAPTS scale using responses from over 20 different manufacturing firms versus previous one-employer study.
195 sellers employed with one of 42 different firms.
CALIS.
There is a lack of confirmation of findings from previous studies that either hypothetically proposed or empirically identified ADAPTS as a one-, two-, or five-dimensional scale.
Marks and Badovick (1997)
Tests hypothesized relationships between/among ASB, task-related sales behaviors (TRBs), goal commitment, and sales performance.
ASB,TRB, goal commitment, and sales performance.
179 sellers from a major U.S. telecom equipment manufacturer.
CFA and SEM.
ASB and TRB are related to goal commitment. However, there is no support that goal commitment influences sales performance or that ASB is related to TRB.
Dion, Easterling, and Javalgi (1997)
Asks the question if buyers perceive differences in ASB due to gender.
ASB.
124 sellers and purchasing agents, members of National Association of Purchasing Management.
ANOVA.
Industrial buyers do not perceive female industrial salespeople as being any more or less adaptive than male industrial salespeople.
Boorom, Goolsby, and Ramsey (1998)
Used a subset of ADAPTS scale to measure ASB.
Communications apprehension, interaction involvement, ASB, and sales performance.
239 insurance sellers from five companies.
SEM.
Interaction involvement is moderately associated with both ASB and SP. ASB is modestly related to sales performance.
Eppler et al. (1998)
Examines relationships between sales performance and the personal traits of self-monitoring and sales performance.
ASB, sales performance, and selfmonitoring.
329 real estate sellers.
Correlation analysis.
ASB is positively related to the sellers’ self-monitoring trait and to their sales performance. Selfmonitoring is not related to sales performance.
Keillor,
Studies the interrelationships
Sales performance, selling
126 members of a
Correlation
ASB tends to be situation specific.
Parker, and
of various aspects of
orientation–customer
professional sales
analysis and
Service orientation is difficult to
Pettijohn (2000)
relational selling on sales performance.
orientation (SOCO), ASB, and service orientation.
organization.
multiple regression.
assess in terms of its actual impact on sales performance.
Pettijohn et al.
Analyzes the relationship
ASB and three measures of
62 sellers in a retail
Correlation
(2000)
between sellers’ productivity and adaptability in a field setting.
sales performance.
environment.
analysis and ANOVA.
Higher ASB can bring higher closing ratio, but there is no support that higher ASB would provide higher sales volume. No clear relationship between ASB and sales performance.
Porter and Inks (2000)
Investigates cognitive complexity and attributional complexity with the ASB framework.
Attributional complexity and ASB.
161 industrial sellers.
Factor analysis and regression analysis.
More “attributionally complex” salespeople will have the predisposition to practice ASB.
Bush et al.
Examines how ASBs and
Intercultural disposition, ASB,
122 participants from
SEM and
The results show that intercultural
(2001)
intercultural disposition of marketing executives contribute to their perceived intercultural communication competence.
and perceived intercultural communication competence.
different industries.
correlation analysis.
disposition and ASB both affect the perceived intercultural communication competence of marketing executives.
Authors
Primary Focus
Measures
Robinson et al.
Reevaluates the psychometric ASB, sales experience, and
(2002)
properties of the ADAPTS scale with a large and broadbased sample.Tests factor structure, dimensionality, reliability, and validity.
Park and Holloway (2003)
Sample/Data
Analysis Method
Summary of Findings
1,042 randomly
Factor
ADAPTS-SV (short version) is
sales performance.
selected salespeople.
analysis.
significantly positively correlated with both sales experience measures and sales performance.
Reviews the ASB literature, highlights noteworthy areas of disagreement and empirically examines the relationship among learning orientation, ASB, sales performance, and job satisfaction.
Learning orientation, ASB, objective sales performance measure, subjective sales performance measure, job satisfaction.
199 sellers from a major national Korean automobile company.
SEM.
ASB significantly contributes to sales performance and job satisfaction. ASB also has a significant positive influence on all sales performance measures. Learning orientation is also related to the practice of ASB.
Porter,
Employs the Weitz model to
Sales performance, ASB, and
168 sales reps from
Moderator
Selling environment does moderate
Wiener, and Frankwick (2003)
investigate the effect of selling situation on the relationship between selling strategy and sales performance.
buying task/selling situation.
two companies.
regression analysis.
the strength of relationship between ASB and the selling effectiveness outcomes. Suggests that ASB is important across different selling environments.
Verbeke, Belschak, and Bagozzi (2004)
Examines the adaptive consequences of pride in personal selling and its selfregulation with colleagues and customers.
Pride,ASB, working hard, self-efficacy, helping, sportsmanship, civic virtue, and courtesy.
93 sellers from insurance and financial products industries.
CFA.
Pride facilitates goal striving in salespeople and has adaptive consequences. Pride had the highest positive effects on ASB and self-efficacy.
Chakrabarty et al. (2004)
Analyze and recommend the ADAPTS-SV scale relative to the two-factor Marks, Vorhies, and Badovick (MVB) scale.
ADAPTS.
15 marketing faculty and Ph.D. students.
Item sort.
MVB is not actually a behavior scale but represents a multifaceted measure of ASB. ADAPTS-BV (behavioral version) is as good as ADAPTS-SV/better than MVB.
CFA. 241 sellers from multiple industries.
Study
Major Conclusions
Porter, Wiener, and Frankwick (2003)
Buying task/situation moderates the effect of adaptive selling on sales performance.
Robinson et al. (2002)
Confirmatory factor analyses of the ADAPTS scale yields a single factor. Adaptive selling has a significantly positive effect on perceived intercultural communication competence.
Bush et al. (2001) McIntyre et al. (2000) Pettijohn et al. (2000)
Adaptive selling has a significantly positive effect on customer orientation. Adaptive selling has a significantly positive effect on closing ratios.
Porter and Inks (2000)
Motivation/interest to understand human behavior has a significantly positive effect on adaptive selling.
Keillor, Parker, and Pettijohn (1999)
Adaptive selling has no effect on satisfaction with performance.
Boorom, Goolsby, and Ramsey (1998)
Adaptive selling is positively associated with achieving sales performance. The quality of salesperson–manager relationship has a significantly positive effect on adaptive selling.
DelVecchio (1998) Shepherd, Castleberry, and Ridnour (1997)
A positive relationship exists between effective listening and adaptive selling.
DelVecchio (1996)
Perceptual incongruities in managerial control have no effect on adaptive selling.
Herche, Swenson, and Verbeke (1996)
Confirmatory factor analyses of the ADAPTS scale showed strong evidence of unidimensionality in United States and the Netherlands.
Marks,Vorhies, and Badovick (1996)
Confirmatory factor analyses of the ADAPTS scale yields two factors: adaptive selling beliefs (four items) and adaptive selling behaviors (seven items).
Levy and Sharma (1994)
Age and sales experience interact with gender and education to affect the practice of adaptive selling.
Erica Feidner This legendary Steinway piano saleswoman who sold more than $40 million.
Adaptive selling : “Selling
the way your customer wants to buy” Describes training programs that encourage salespeople to adjust their communication styles to accommodate styles of their customers.
More than 7 million have completed Wilson Learning’s adaptive selling program titled The Versatile Salesperson

Style-flexing: is the adaptation of communication style by the seller to enhance communication and marketing effectiveness.
“treating others the way they want to be treated”
“The patterns of behavior that others observe can be called communication style.” “Adaptive selling can be defined as altering sales behaviors in order to improve communication with the customer.”
The 4 Communication Styles Carl Jung Myers-Briggs
Dr Tony Alessandra
The DISC team
Dominance is the tendency to command, control, or prevail over others
Low dominance Cooperative Let others control Low in assertiveness
High dominance Like to control Initiate demands More aggressive
Sociability is the tendency to seek and enjoy interaction with others
High
Express feelings Prefer interaction More outgoing More informal
Low
Control feelings Prefer solitude More reserved More formal
Don’t like to control, avoid conflicts Listens attentively Likes open & sincere relationships
Likes focus, facts, details, meticulous Very measured , deliberate & cautious
Seeks recognition, expressive, Takes social initiative, likes getting others excited, bored easily, out-going
Likes quick & direct answers, wants to control More reserved
It is the deliberate attempt to adjust one’s communication style to accommodate others’ needs
Key communication style preferences used in Style Flexing
Selling to Emotives
Be enthusiastic Don’t be too stiff or formal Take time to establish goodwill/relationships Maintain eye contact Be a good listener
Selling to Directives
Keep as businesslike as possible Be efficient, time disciplined, organized Identify their goals Ask questions and note responses
Key communication style preferences used in Style Flexing
Selling to Reflectives
Use thoughtful, wellorganized approach Present information in deliberate manner Provide documentation Never pressure for quick decisions
Selling to Supportives
Take time to build the relationship Listen carefully to their opinions and feelings Provide assurances for their views Have patience, give them time to comprehend
Using the PR rule, successful sales professionals have reported having a greater understanding of what drives their customers and what it took for them to sell to their customers.
Promotion of personal chemistry with customers.
Productive customer relationships.
Research Objectives
……. or just a myth? Can the PR rule be the most important and required prescription for successful selling? Is it a “must have attribute” to the extent that we place the importance of PR in recruitment and training of our sales force
1.
2.
3.
Study the extent of the use of the platinum rule in personal selling, Investigate the use of various communication style categorization, and Identify the key behavioral preferences associated with the application of the Platinum Rule in style flexing when selling successfully to clients.
We want to know….. the extent of use and success using the PR rule as a sales approach amongst various sales personnel categories in various types of selling organizations
are there other critical success factors for successful selling, can the PR be the most significant variable?
Research Evidence
“The combined effect of customer perceptions about a salesperson’s adaptive selling and selling orientation on customer trust in the salesperson: a contingency perspective", Paolo Guenzi Luigi M. De Luca Rosann Spiro, (2016), Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 31 3 The authors found how two important situational
variables – (a) length of buyer–seller
relationships and (b) importance of purchase for the buyer - affect selling outcomes. The study
suggests that salespeople willing to win customer trust should modify their approach across the relationship life cycle.
“Effects of emotional labor and adaptive selling behavior on job performance” Wang, Wang and Wee; SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND PERSONALITY, 2016, Scientific Journal Publishers Limited. Authors examined the effects of salespersons’ emotional labor strategies on adaptive selling behavior and individual job performance. Participants were 254 salespeople who completed measures of deep acting, surface acting, adaptive selling behavior, and job performance. The analysis results showed that salespersons’ deep acting was positively related to adaptive selling behavior and job performance, whereas salespersons’ surface acting
was negatively related to adaptive selling behavior and job performance. In addition, adaptive selling behavior partially mediated the relationship between emotional labor strategies and job performance
With high quality and successful customer relationship the ultimate goal for marketers,
My findings may help sales organizations understand the importance of building long lasting successful customer relationships using adaptive selling ---> That sales organizations would hire high performing sales personnel with adaptive qualities, Provide effective training on style flexing
Improve overall sales force effectiveness .
Any Questions?