How Do Sales Managers Perceive Their Roles? [*].

The data were subjected to three different statistical tests. First, the data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to assess the overall effect of sales management position (or level) on all eleven role orientation dimensions. This analysis yielded a statistically significant result (Wilks' lambda F-value = 2.73, p [less than] .001). Thus, hierarchical position has an overall impact on the matrix of role orientation variables considered in the study.

Second, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to discern whether the perceptions of each of the role orientation dimensions were influenced by sales management position (lower-, intermediate, and upper-level). Respondent education level, income, and job tenure as a sales manager were treated as covariates. These three variables were selected as covariates because prior work has found that each is related to sales organization members' perceptions of the job (see review by Comer and Dubinsky, 1985).

Third, Scheffe (1959) contrasts were computed on those role orientation dimensions evidencing an overall significant management-level effect. These were calculated to ascertain whether there were any significant differences in the role orientation dimensions between each pair of sales management levels.

Findings

The mean, standard deviation, and ranking (based on the mean score) for each of the sales manager role orientation dimensions for the overall sample and for each sales management level, as well the results for ANCOVA and Scheffe tests, are presented in Table 2. The findings are arranged in descending order based on the overall sample's mean score of the role orientation dimensions.

Results for the Overall Sample

As reported in Table 2, respondents strongly perceive (mean scores are above 5 on a 7-point scale) that sales managers should have the ability to lead subordinate salespeople, motivate salespersons, integrate sales and marketing, and train salespeople. They should also have a profit focus, a cost focus, and good communication skills. Although these dimensions vary in their rankings, the results suggest that responding sales managers consider these eight tasks central to their job. There was, though, a lower level of agreement (mean scores are below 5 on a 7-point scale) that sales managers should have been successful salespersons, have an extraverted personality, or continue to sell to large accounts. Thus, these three role orientation dimensions are perceived to be of lesser concern to sales managers when compared with the other eight.

Results for Lower-Level Managers

As shown in Table 2, results reveal that lower-level sales managers strongly believe that sales managers should have the ability to lead, motivate, and train subordinate salespeople; the ability to integrate sales and marketing; good communication skills; and a sales focus, a profit focus, and a cost focus (mean scores are above 5 on a 7-point scale). This group feels less strongly, however, that sales managers should have been successful salespersons, have an extraverted personality, or continue to sell to large accounts.

Results for Intermediate-Level Managers

Intermediate-level sales managers perceive that the important aspects of their jobs (mean scores are above 5 on a 7-point scale) should involve the following: the ability to lead, motivate, and train subordinate salespeople; the ability to integrate sales and marketing; good communication skills; and a sales focus, a profit focus, and a cost focus (Table 2). This group does not strongly believe, though, that sales managers should have been successful salespersons, have an extraverted personality, or continue to sell to large accounts.

Results for Upper-Level Managers

Upper-level sales managers strongly perceive (mean scores are above 5 on a 7-point scale) that the following role orientation dimensions are important for sales managers: the ability to lead, motivate, and train subordinate salespeople; the ability to integrate sales and marketing; good communication skills; and a sales focus, a profit focus, and a cost focus (Table 2). The remaining three role orientation dimensions-having been a successful salesperson, having an extraverted personality, and continuing to sell to large accounts-are perceived to be of lesser concern to this group of sales managers.

ANCOVA Results

In assessing the influence of the overall impact of sales management level on each of the role orientation dimensions, the ANCOVA findings reveal that seven of the eleven items exhibit statistically significant differences (p [less than] .05) (see Table 2). More specifically, sales manager hierarchi cal level is related to perceptions concerning the ability to lead subordinate salespeople, the ability to motivate salespersons, the ability to integrate sales and marketing, having a sales focus, the ability to train new salespersons, having a profit focus, and having a cost focus. The perceptions of the other four role orientation dimensions-communication skills, having been a successful salesperson, having an extraverted personality, and continuing to personally sell to a few accounts-evidently are not affected by sales manager level.

Scheffe Test Results

Scheffe (1959) tests for contrasts between pairs of each sales management group's perceptions of the foregoing seven significant role orientation dimensions were also conducted. As presented in Table 2, ten significant contrasts (p less than] .05) were found. Upper-level sales managers feel more strongly than their intermediate-level counterparts that sales managers should have the ability to lead subordinate salespeople, to motivate salespersons, and to integrate sales and marketing. In addition, relative to lower-level sales managers, upper-level sales managers believe more strongly that sales managers should have the ability to train new salespeople and have a sales focus, a cost focus, and a profit focus. Intermediate-level sales managers perceive more strongly than do their lower-level counterparts that sales managers should have the ability to train new salespersons and have a sales focus and a profit focus.

Discussion

The empirical findings of the study suggest that hierarchical level has a statistically significant effect on role orientation perceptions of sales managers. More specifically, as incumbents ascend the sales management hierarchy, their perceptions of what the position should entail changes. Essentially, as sales managers move up the organizational hierarchy to more senior management positions, their perceived orientation seemingly changes to placing greater importance on achieving superior economic performance for their firms. The findings imply that the more senior the hierarchical position that a sales manager assumes, the greater the need to focus on attaining economic objectives.

Four role orientation dimensions (communication skills, having been a successful salesperson, having an extraverted personality, and continuing to personally sell to large accounts) did not appear to be influenced by sales manager level. This may indicate that, irrespective of hierarchical level, these role orientation dimensions are perceived by sales managers to be seemingly "part and parcel" manifestations of their jobs. In other words, the results imply that sales managers uniformly consider the importance of these factors relatively comparable vis-a-vis their jobs irrespective of hierarchical level.

Other findings suggest that there is some consistency regarding the rating (and ranking) of seven of the eleven role orientation dimensions. In fact, seven role orientation dimensions had identical rankings (based on mean scores) across all three sales manager levels: (1) the ability to lead subordinate salespeople, (2) the ability to train new salespersons, (3) having a profit focus, (4) having a cost focus, (5) having been a successful salesperson, (6) having an extraverted personality, and (7) continuing to personally sell to large accounts.

Additionally, the finding with respect to sales managers "continuing to personally sell to large accounts" was not significantly associated with managerial level. Nonetheless, an examination of the direction of the mean values indicates that lower-level sales managers perceive that personal selling is an important task; however, as the management levels get progressively higher, its perceived importance appears to diminish. Thus, lower-level sales managers seemingly view their primary job as that of a "super salesperson"; that is, they believe corporate management still expects them to continue to sell instead of simply making the transition to leading, managing, controlling, and directing their respective salesforces.

Managerial Implications

Several sales management implications can be gleaned from this study. First and foremost, the results clearly demonstrate sales managers perceive that, as they move up the organizational hierarchy, their job becomes more diverse and distinctly different from that performed at lower sales management levels. More specifically, sales managers at upper levels evidently believe that they should be focusing on integrating sales with other marketing functions. Furthermore, senior sales managers perceive that their jobs require participating in devising and attaining strategic marketing objectives and having an economic (sales, cost, and profit) orientation.