WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics


Print ISSN: 1109-9526
E-ISSN: 2224-2899

Volume 15, 2018

Notice: As of 2014 and for the forthcoming years, the publication frequency/periodicity of WSEAS Journals is adapted to the 'continuously updated' model. What this means is that instead of being separated into issues, new papers will be added on a continuous basis, allowing a more regular flow and shorter publication times. The papers will appear in reverse order, therefore the most recent one will be on top.


Volume 15, 2018


The Impact of Sales Force Automation System on Quality Service Delivery and Sales Reporting among Micro and Small-Sized Enterprises in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

AUTHORS: Henry Ameyaw Domfeh, Lawrence Yaw Kusi, Kwamena Minta Nyarku, William D. Hunsaker

Download as PDF

ABSTRACT: The study was conducted to assess the impact of Sales Force Automation (SFA) system on quality service delivery and sales reporting among micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) in Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region in Ghana. Through descriptive survey design, 97 managers of these MSEs purposively selected and surveyed through self-administration of structure questionnaires. Both descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential statistics (multiple regression) data analysis techniques were used to determine the research findings. It was found that SFA applications significantly and positively predict variance in quality service delivery in the selling function of MSEs. There was also a statistically significant but moderate positive correlation between the use of SFA and quality service delivery. It was also established that the use of SFA applications significantly and positively predict variance in sales reporting in the selling function of MSEs. There was also a statistically significant high positive correlation between the use of SFA and sales reporting. It was recommended that MSEs should integrate SFA system to support their traditional selling function. Application developers were advised to create special IT applications purposely for meeting the special need of MSEs in their selling activities in developing country like Ghana since high cost of integration possess challenge for the adoption of SFA system.

KEYWORDS: Sales Force Automation, system, quality service delivery, sales reporting, micro and small-sized enterprises, Kumasi

REFERENCES:

[1] Amoako, Gilbert Kwabena. 'Accounting practices of SMEs: A case study of Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana.' International Journal of Business and Management 8, no. 24 (2013): 73.

[2] Amoateng, Paul, Patrick B. Cobbinah, and Kwasi Ofori-Kumah. 'Towards creation of sustainable enclaves for small and medium-size enterprises in Kumasi, Ghana.' International Journal of Social, Human Science and Engineering 8, no. 1 (2014): 333-341.

[3] Ang, Lawrence, and Francis Buttle. 'CRM software applications and business performance.' Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management 14, no. 1 (2006): 4-16.

[4] Asante, Molefi Kete, Yoshitaka Miike, and Jing Yin, eds. The global intercultural communication reader. Routledge, 2013.

[5] Avlonitis, George J., and Nikolaos G. Panagopoulos. 'Antecedents and consequences of CRM technology acceptance in the sales force.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 355-368.

[6] Barker, Robert M., Stephan F. Gohmann, Jian Guan, and David J. Faulds. 'Why is my sales force automation system failing?' Business Horizons 52, no. 3 (2009): 233- 241.

[7] Bar-Ness, Yeheskel, and Kodzovi Acolatse. 'System and method for single-carrier space-frequency block coded transmission over frequency selective and fast fading channels.' U.S. Patent 8,130,846, issued March 6, 2012.

[8] Berger, Allen N., and Gregory F. Udell. A more complete conceptual framework for financing of small and medium enterprises. Vol. 3795. World Bank Publications,

[9] Blodgett, Jeffrey G., Kirk L. Wakefield, and James H. Barnes. 'The effects of customer service on consumer complaining behavior.' Journal of services Marketing 9, no. 4 (1995): 31-42.

[10] Boujena, Othman, Wesley J. Johnston, and Dwight R. Merunka. 'The benefits of sales force automation: a customer’s perspective.' Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 29, no. 2 (2009): 137-150.

[11] Buehrer, Richard E., Sylvain Senecal, and Ellen Bolman Pullins. 'Sales force technology usage—reasons, barriers, and support: An exploratory investigation.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 389-398.

[12] Bush, Alan J., Jarvis B. Moore, and Rich Rocco. 'Understanding sales force automation outcomes: A managerial perspective.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 369-377.

[13] Buttle, F., Ang, L., & Iriana, R. (2006). Sales force automation: review, critique, research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 8(4), 213-231.

[14] Colombo, George W. Sales force automation: using the latest technology to make your sales force more competitive. McGraw-Hill Companies, 1994.

[15] Delone, William H., and Ephraim R. McLean. 'The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: a ten-year update.' Journal of management information systems 19, no. 4 (2003): 9-30.

[16] Engle, Robert L., and Michael L. Barnes. 'Sales force automation usage, effectiveness, and cost-benefit in Germany, England and the United States.' Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing 15, no. 4 (2000): 216-241.

[17] Erffmeyer, Robert C., and Dale A. Johnson. 'An exploratory study of sales force automation practices: Expectations Applied Scientific Research 3, no. 12 (2013): 1-7.

[30] Jayachandran, Satish, Subhash Sharma, Peter Kaufman, and Pushkala Raman. 'The role of relational information processes and technology use in customer relationship management.' Journal of marketing 69, no. 4 (2005): 177-192.

[31] Jelinek, Ronald, Michael Ahearne, John Mathieu, and Niels Schillewaert. 'A longitudinal examination of individual, organizational, and contextual factors on sales technology adoption and job performance.' Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 14, no. 1 (2006): 7- 23.

[32] Jones, Eli, Suresh Sundaram, and Wynne Chin. 'Factors leading to sales force automation use: A longitudinal analysis.' Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 22, no. 3 (2002): 145-156.

[33] King, Stephen F., and Thomas F. Burgess. 'Understanding success and failure in customer relationship management.' Industrial Marketing Management 37, no. 4 (2008): 421-431.

[34] Ko, Dong-Gil, and Alan R. Dennis. 'Sales force automation and sales performance: Do experience and expertise matter?.' Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 24, no. 4 (2004): 311-322.

[35] Kotler, P., and G. Armstrong. 'Principles of Marketing (Global Edition). Harlow: Pearson Education.' Google Scholar (2013).

[36] Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Composite Budget Report, (2014).

[37] Kusi, Lawrence Y., George AB Aggrey, and Kwamena M. Nyarku. 'Assessment of Public Procurement Policy Implementation in the Educational Sector (A Case Study of Takoradi Polytechnic).' International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 4, no. 10 (2014): 260.

[38] Leigh, Thomas W., and Greg W. Marshall. 'Research priorities in sales strategy and performance.' Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 21, no. 2 (2001): 83-93.

[39] Lorge, Sarah. 'Consumers care about causes. cornering the market.' Sales & Marketing Management 151, no. 6 (1999): 47.

[40] Malhotra, Naresh K., and David F. Birks. 'Marketing research: An applied approach: Pearson Education.' Limited. 連結 (2007).

[41] Morgan, Amy J., and Scott A. Inks. 'Technology and the sales force: Increasing acceptance of sales force automation.' Industrial Marketing Management 30, no. 5 (2001): 463-472.

[42] Musamali, Martin M., and Daniel Kipkirong Tarus. 'Does firm profile influence financial access among small and medium enterprises in Kenya?.' Asian Economic and Financial Review 3, no. 6 (2013): 714.

[43] Mutong’Wa, Sanja Michael, Gaba– Eldoret Campus, Steve Wasilwa Khaemba, and Esau Mneria Mengich. 'A comparative study of critical success factors (CSFS) in implementation of mobile money transfer services in kenya.' European Journal of Engineering and Technology Vol 2, no. 2 (2014): 8-31.

[44] National Board for Small Scale Industries (2015).

[45] Oni, Emmanuel O., and A. A. Daniya. 'Development of small and medium scale enterprises: The role of government and other financial institutions.' Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review 1, no. 7 (2012): 16-29.

[46] Orenstein, Lon, and Kenneth Leung. 'The Do's and Don'ts of Sales Force Automation.' Marketing News 31, no. 23 (1997): 14.

[47] Pallant, Jullie. 'SPSS survival manual: A step guide to data analysis using SPSS for Windows version 12.' (2005).

[48] Park, Jeong Eun, Juyoung Kim, Alan J. Dubinsky, and Hyunju Lee. 'How does sales force automation influence relationship quality and performance? The mediating roles of learning and selling behaviors.' Industrial marketing management 39, no. 7 (2010): 1128-1138.

[49] Parthasarathy, Madhavan, and Ravipreet S. Sohi. 'Salesforce automation and the adoption of technological innovations by salespeople: theory and implications.' Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing 12, no. 3/4 (1997): 196-208.

[50] Rivers, L. Mark, and Jack Dart. 'Sales Technology Applications: The acquisition and use of sales force automation by midsized manufacturers.' Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 19, no. 2 (1999): 59-73.

[51] Robinson Jr, Leroy, Greg W. Marshall, and Miriam B. Stamps. 'An empirical investigation of technology acceptance in a field sales force setting.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 407-415.

[52] Robson, Colin, and Kieran McCartan. Real world research. John Wiley & Sons, 2016.

[53] Schillewaert, Niels, Michael J. Ahearne, Ruud T. Frambach, and Rudy K. Moenaert. 'The adoption of information technology in the sales force.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 323-336.

[54] Schottmiller, John C. 'ISO 9000 and quality costs.' In ANNUAL QUALITY CONGRESS PROCEEDINGSAMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY CONTROL, pp. 194-199. 1996.

[55] Shi, Jianxin, Douglas F. Levinson, Jubao Duan, Alan R. Sanders, Yonglan Zheng, Itsik Pe’Er, Frank Dudbridge et al. 'Common variants on chromosome 6p22. 1 are associated with schizophrenia.' Nature 460, no. 7256 (2009): 753.

[56] Sinisalo, Jaakko, Heikki Karjaluoto, and Saila Saraniemi. 'Barriers to the use of mobile sales force automation systems: a salesperson’s perspective.' Journal of Systems and Information Technology 17, no. 2 (2015): 121-140.

[57] Soh, Christina, and M. Lynne Markus. 'How IT creates business value: a process theory synthesis.' ICIS 1995 Proceedings (1995): 4.

[58] Solove, Daniel J. 'The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age (Introduction).' (2004).

[59] Stoddard, James E., Stephen W. Clopton, and Ramon A. Avila. 'An analysis of the effects of sales force automation on salesperson perceptions of performance.' Journal of Selling and Major Account Management 6, no. 1 (2006): 38-56.

[60] Stoddard, James E., Stephen W. Clopton, and Ramon A. Avila. 'Sales Managers’ Perceptions of the Benefits of Sales Force Automation.' Journal of Selling & Major Account Management 7 (2007).

[61] Sundaram, Suresh, Andrew Schwarz, Eli Jones, and Wynne W. Chin. 'Technology use on the front line: how information technology enhances individual performance.' Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 35, no. 1 (2007): 101- 112.

[62] Tanner Jr, John F., and Shannon Shipp. 'Sales technology within the salesperson's relationships: A research agenda.' Industrial Marketing Management 34, no. 4 (2005): 305-312.

[63] Terho, Harri, Alexander Haas, Andreas Eggert, and Wolfgang Ulaga. '‘It's almost like taking the sales out of selling’— towards a conceptualization of valuebased selling in business markets.' Industrial Marketing Management 41, no. 1 (2012): 174-185.

[64] Venkatesh, Viswanath, Michael G. Morris, Gordon B. Davis, and Fred D. Davis. 'User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view.' MIS quarterly (2003): 425-478.

[65] Von Bertalanffy, Ludwig. 'The history and status of general systems theory.' Academy of Management Journal 15, no. 4 (1972): 407-426.

[66] Weitz, Barton A., and Kevin D. Bradford. 'Personal selling and sales management: A relationship marketing perspective.' Journal of the academy of marketing science 27, no. 2 (1999): 241-254.

[67] Wright, Christopher B., and Stephen Bristow. 'Automated transaction system.' U.S. Patent 4,802,218, issued January 31, 1989.

[68] Zoltners, Adris, Prabhakant Sinha, and Sally Lorimer. Sales force design for strategic advantage. Springer, 2004.

WSEAS Transactions on Business and Economics, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1109-9526 / 2224-2899, Volume 15, 2018, Art. #21, pp. 213-223


Copyright © 2018 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0