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Salesperson learning, organizational learning, and retail store performance

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Abstract

Salesperson learning has the potential to contribute to the competitive advantage of the firm by increasing its capacity for organizational learning. The relationship between employee and organizational learning is often taken-for-granted, yet the relationship between the two is complicated. The transfer of individual learning to the organizational level can not always be assumed. The authors examine this relationship, focusing on the facilitating role of organizational climate for learning and information dissemination efficiency in translating salesperson learning to organizational learning. The model, tested using a sample of 422 respondents from 113 retail stores in a national chain, is partly supported. Individual learning was found to be postitively associated with organizational learning and organizational climate for learning had a positive moderating effect on this relationship. The hypothesized moderating effect of information dissemination efficiency was insignificant. Implications for theory and management are discussed.

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Notes

  1. Throughout the paper we use the terms ‘salesperson’, ‘individual’, ‘member’, and ‘employee’ interchangeably.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management & Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Commerce, University of Melbourne, 198 Berkeley Street, Melbourne, 3010, Australia

    Simon J. Bell

  2. Faculty of Business, Department of Marketing, International Business and Strategy, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada

    Bülent Mengüç

  3. Thunderbird School of Global Management, 15249 North 59th Avenue, Glendale, AZ, 85306-6000, U.S.A.

    Robert E. Widing II

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  1. Simon J. Bell
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Bell, S.J., Mengüç, B. & Widing, R.E. Salesperson learning, organizational learning, and retail store performance. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 38, 187–201 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-009-0149-x

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