Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them
The goal of this in-depth interview study was to gain knowledge about important, needed and developed competencies of executives. Supplementary design factors and implementation barriers were examined as framework conditions for competency development. The study ( N = 66) gathers information from t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-10-01
|
| Series: | SAGE Open |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221129246 |
| _version_ | 1811247782304940032 |
|---|---|
| author | Annina Boehm-Fischer Joel T. Schmidt Jens Nachtwei |
| author_facet | Annina Boehm-Fischer Joel T. Schmidt Jens Nachtwei |
| author_sort | Annina Boehm-Fischer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The goal of this in-depth interview study was to gain knowledge about important, needed and developed competencies of executives. Supplementary design factors and implementation barriers were examined as framework conditions for competency development. The study ( N = 66) gathers information from three different subject groups: executives ( n = 22), freelance trainers ( n = 23), and corporate HR professionals responsible for executive development ( n = 21). A total of 13 important competencies were extracted from the answers of all respondents. Groups agreed on five competencies (leading, communication, achievement motivation, organizing and strategy, social influence) which are therefore classified as needed. Design factors and implementation barriers were classified, ranked according to relevance and evaluated in general and on a group-specific basis. The two most important design factors mentioned by all subject groups are: 1) to ensure the practical relevance of development programs; and 2) to include time for discussion and reflection. The three most common barriers are daily business, conflicting old habits and lack of motivation. Results also show that other competencies are also developed, but are not classified as needed (e.g., openness for novelty, and self-reflection). These findings provide insight and guidance for creating training and development programs for sales executives that focus on the competencies that are needed and how these can be developed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:15:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b386d31e9b5c46b090eeeb36bae80d66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2158-2440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T15:15:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SAGE Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-b386d31e9b5c46b090eeeb36bae80d662022-12-22T03:27:38ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402022-10-011210.1177/21582440221129246Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop ThemAnnina Boehm-Fischer0Joel T. Schmidt1Jens Nachtwei2Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin, University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, GermanyFachhochschule Für Angewandtes Management, Munich, GermanyHumboldt University Berlin, Berlin, GermanyThe goal of this in-depth interview study was to gain knowledge about important, needed and developed competencies of executives. Supplementary design factors and implementation barriers were examined as framework conditions for competency development. The study ( N = 66) gathers information from three different subject groups: executives ( n = 22), freelance trainers ( n = 23), and corporate HR professionals responsible for executive development ( n = 21). A total of 13 important competencies were extracted from the answers of all respondents. Groups agreed on five competencies (leading, communication, achievement motivation, organizing and strategy, social influence) which are therefore classified as needed. Design factors and implementation barriers were classified, ranked according to relevance and evaluated in general and on a group-specific basis. The two most important design factors mentioned by all subject groups are: 1) to ensure the practical relevance of development programs; and 2) to include time for discussion and reflection. The three most common barriers are daily business, conflicting old habits and lack of motivation. Results also show that other competencies are also developed, but are not classified as needed (e.g., openness for novelty, and self-reflection). These findings provide insight and guidance for creating training and development programs for sales executives that focus on the competencies that are needed and how these can be developed.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221129246 |
| spellingShingle | Annina Boehm-Fischer Joel T. Schmidt Jens Nachtwei Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them SAGE Open |
| title | Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them |
| title_full | Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them |
| title_fullStr | Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them |
| title_short | Ears on the Street: Practitioner Opinions on What Competencies Sales Executives Need and How to Develop Them |
| title_sort | ears on the street practitioner opinions on what competencies sales executives need and how to develop them |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221129246 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anninaboehmfischer earsonthestreetpractitioneropinionsonwhatcompetenciessalesexecutivesneedandhowtodevelopthem AT joeltschmidt earsonthestreetpractitioneropinionsonwhatcompetenciessalesexecutivesneedandhowtodevelopthem AT jensnachtwei earsonthestreetpractitioneropinionsonwhatcompetenciessalesexecutivesneedandhowtodevelopthem |