Factors Affecting the Adoption of New Products by the Sales Force

Abstract

This thesis examines the factors affecting the adoption of new products by the sales force. As a first step toward gaining greater insight into those factors, this study develops a model for exploring the characteristics that affect new product adoption by the sales force. The model (figure 3.1), describes five categories of variables. These categories are the new product factors, the organisational factors, the sales managers’ factors, the sales force factors, and the environmental factors. For example, the model suggests that the sales force’s perceptions of the firm’s commitment to new products, play a key role in determining whether they will take an active, positive approach to selling the new product. Another suggestion is that a sales person’s commitment to a new product depends on his/her career success. The model also suggests that compared to their colleagues with performance orientation, sales people with learning orientation style are more likely to adopt a new product and are less likely to engage in dysfunctional behaviour in the selling process. The researcher conducted personal interviews with sales people in order to validate the conceptual framework of the study. Another purpose of the interviews was to develop scales applicable to the sales force new product adoption context for future empirical research. Indeed, the interviews with sales people revealed the variables, which influence the behaviour of sales people to adopt new products. These variables are presented in chapter 3 of the study.