Why Empowering Salespeople is a Double Edge Sword

Salespeople in business-to-business markets are given autonomy to manage firms’ relationships with their customers. This autonomy implies that salespeople are responsible for making decisions that not only benefit but may also adversely impact customers (e.g., offer an account preferential treatment vs. terminate an established account). While numerous studies establish that autonomy (a critical facet of empowerment) has a positive impact on sales employee’s job outcomes, this study investigates the possibility that salesperson autonomy also has undesirable effects on salesperson job outcomes because it makes them responsible for decisions that have adverse consequences on the customers they are charged with satisfying. Specifically, this study explores salesperson autonomy’s indirect positive (mediated by engagement) and negative (mediated by burnout) effects on salesperson job satisfaction, job performance, and turnover intentions. In addition, the study explores how three resources, namely, customer orientation, supervisor support, and job training, moderate salesperson autonomy’s positive and negative effects on salesperson’s job outcomes. In so doing, this research (1) builds on Job Demands-Resources theory to conceptualize salesperson autonomy as a job demand that salespeople can simultaneously perceive as a challenge and a hindrance, (2) contributes to the sales management literature by being among the first to investigate how and when job autonomy can have deleterious effects on salesperson job outcomes, and (3) extends the sales management literature by being among the first to examine how sales force activities influence stakeholders (in this case salespeople) other than customers

Textbook Publishing for Secondary and Higher Education

Given the number of high school and college students in need of textbooks, there is an opportunity for individuals interested in becoming textbook authors. The process begins with conducting research to determine the appropriate type of book and the market for that book. The research for secondary education includes understanding curriculum standards for the given subject. Understanding the market for the book is important to also determine the appropriate publisher for the proposed textbook. Next, it is time to prepare the items needed for the prospectus. These items include the table of content, end-of-chapter exercises, and likely a few chapters of the book. Beyond a new textbook proposal, taking over for an existing author on a textbook is another means of becoming a textbook author. Publishing a textbook is a lot of work, but the payoffs may include filling a gap in the market, recognition, staying current, and royalties or flat fee payment

An Analysis of Millennials and their Interactions with Financial Institutions

As the largest generational cohort since the Baby Boomers of the mid-20th century, Millennials hold significant power over the future. This is especially true in business; therefore, consideration of the environment and the target market should be lucrative. Millennials seem to fit this role more every year. This project investigates the Millennial age cohort and creates a social media portfolio to create a short social media campaign for Ascend Federal Credit Union to market their financial services and education to people ages 23 – 37. This project seeks to better understand how to utilize social media in a business setting to grow business effectively with minimum cost to the company. In addition, the project will also explore the reasons why Millennials tend to wait until later in life to take on some of the larger financial commitments such as mortgages. The two main goals of this project are 1) To understand Millennials and how to use social media to sell to them and 2) To create a marketing plan targeting this age group in order to bring business to Ascend Federal Credit Union

Toward curriculum convergence for graduate learning outcomes: academic intentions and student experiences

Graduate learning outcomes in undergraduate science degrees increasingly are focussed on the development of transferrable skillsets. Research into, and comparisons of, the perceptions of students and academic staff on such learning outcomes has rarely been explored in science. This study used a quantitative survey to explore the perceptions of 640 undergraduate science students and 70 academics teaching into a Bachelor of Science degree program on the importance, the extent to which outcomes were included and assessed, the improvement and likely future use of science graduate learning outcomes. Analysis of findings shed light on potential pathways toward curriculum convergence by arguing the need for shared perspectives of academics and students on graduate learning outcomes and drawing on the planned-enacted-experienced curriculum model. Moving toward coherent curriculum planning that draws on both student and academic perspectives to achieve graduate learning outcomes is the key contribution of this study. Resulting recommendations include: the need to consider the development of each complex graduate learning outcome as distinct from other outcomes in both curricular and pedagogical approach, and the need for a programmatic framework for assessment practices to facilitate the constructive alignment of assessment with learning outcomes

Beauty During a Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on the Cosmetic Industry

The cosmetic industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has taken a financial hit in 2020 due to COVID-19. The drop in cosmetic usage leaves the industry in question for future consumer intention and behavior. Survey responses from 1,715 female students at a southeastern U.S. public university was obtained using Qualtrics. Results indicate significant differences in cosmetic usage; however, post-COVID predicted usage indicates that cosmetic usage will revert back to pre-COVID levels for eye, lip, and skin cosmetics. For face cosmetics, usage will still be slightly below pre-COVID levels. The most important cosmetic category was skincare, which had the highest levels of usage pre-, mid-, and post-COVID. Price maintained a high priority in pre-, mid-, and post responses. Convenience was not as essential pre-COVID but became extremely important mid-COVID and is shown to continue a high level of importance for post intentions. Managerial implications of these results are discussed