FACTORS AFFECTING ADAPTIVE SELLING BEHAVIOR: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCES ON THE PHARMACEUTICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES IN ADDIS ABEBA

Abstract

The effects of different factors on adaptive selling behavior of salespersons have been frequently studied in the marketing literature. However, most of the studies were conducted in the developed world. Given the role that different cultural environments play, the assumed relationships among the constructs need to be studied in different cultural contexts. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of pharmaceutical salespersons’ knowledge structure, sales experience, emphatic ability, cue perception ability, learning orientation and intrinsic motivation on their adaptive selling behavior in a different cultural environment from prior studies. Using structured questionnaire, data were collected from Ethiopian pharmaceutical sales representatives, specifically in Addis Ababa city, to examine the hypothesized relationships. For the purpose of analyzing the obtained data inferential statistics were used. Results indicated that emphatic ability has the most positive significant effect on ASB among other variables. Also Cue perception ability, experience, and knowledge structure found to have significant positive effect on adaptive selling behavior. The result also indicated that learning orientation and intrinsic motivation was insignificant with respect to adaptive selling behavior. The researcher also finds the combined effect of these variables on ASB for the first time. Among factors affecting ASB emphatic ability, cue perception ability, learning orientation, knowledge structure and sales experience explain the variance in ASB. Based on findings the researcher suggested that pharmaceutical companies likewise should consider ongoing strategies that enhance emphatic ability, cue perception ability, experience, knowledge structure, intrinsic motivation and learning orientation of their salespersons to enhance ASB of their salespersons.