دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی از خشم تا هیجان - ادراک دانش آموزان استرالیایی از شغل فروشندگی - امرالد 2017

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore Australasian students’ current perception towards a sales career. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a self-administered survey from 431 students enrolled in a Sales Management unit in a large Australian university and its Asian campuses. Findings – The study reveals a four-factor solution with factors labeled as “exciting,” “deceptive,” “taxing,” and “challenging,” with “exciting” being the only factor to significantly predict likelihood of pursuing a sales career. Although no differences of perception were found between males and females, Asian students were found to perceive sales career as more exciting, innovative and fun than Australian students. Research limitations/implications – Although significant difference was noted between Australian and Asian students’ perceptions towards sales as an exciting career, it is prudent to interpret and generalize the finding with caution as Asia is the largest continent with different cultures, religions and races. Practical implications – The four factors that were found to influence students’ perception towards a sales career are novel, psychometrically sound, and are pertinent for businesses conducting graduate recruitment. This study indicates how sales education at university level assist in changing students’ views towards a sales career from negative to positive. Originality/value – While previous research has reported negative perceptions about sales as a career, this study reveals that students consider sales to be an “exciting” career.

Discussion

Firms are devoting substantial efforts to position and/or reposition their sales forces. Institutions for higher education are increasing their specialised courses on “personal selling” and “sales management”. However, the question remains unanswered as to whether prevailing stereotypical negative views toward sales as a career has changed in recent times. In this light, this study explores Australasian students’ perception towards sales as a career and reveals that Australasian students are willing to pursue a sales career because they view a sales career as being “exciting”. The study further reveals that the majority of the respondents do not view sales in a negative way, as none of the negatively connoted factors (“deceptive,” “taxing,” and “challenging”) were found to have significant impact on the likelihood of pursuing sales as a career.

The results emanating from this cross-national study differ from research undertaken by Bristow et al. (2006) who found that skepticism of sales as a career continues to exist even among students who had taken a sales course. Our findings also differ from the research findings of Barat and Spillan (2009, p. 57) whose findings “reinforce the negative perception that students in general, harbor towards salespeople and/or a sales career.” Our finding that students’ perceptions towards a sales career are seen as “exciting” is more likely due to the positive influence of a university education that includes Sales Management as a core unit within its curriculum (Baalbaki et al., 2014; Concha et al., 2014). Sales management is therefore considered essential to students pursuing studies in marketing, given that a large percentage of new graduates will commence their careers in some level of sales. All participants in this study completed the Sales Management unit.