Seminar (Dept. of Marketing)

Theme： Can Positive Psychological Resources Mitigate the Effects of B2B Salesperson Task Overload?

Speaker：Jonathan Gilbert （PhD Candidate at the College of Business, University of Rhode Island）

Time：2021-10-27 10:00

Address：Zoom Meeting

Language：English

Venue：Zoom Online Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/84805489847?pwd=ODhlZjMwWHpyWURmKzdJOE1xZVhRZz09 

Meeting ID: 848 0548 9847

Password: 670050

Abstract：

Business-to-business (B2B) buyers worldwide are demanding more complex, customized solutions and more personalized after-sales support and service. These responsibilities are increasingly falling on salespeople. Concurrently, a well- documented rise in post-sales dissatisfaction suggests an inability for salespeople to manage these responsibilities, and a subsequent erosion in relationship quality between the buyer and salesperson over time. Contemporary research in positive psychology identifies two constructs that may enhance salesperson effectiveness in boundary-spanning activities: psychological capital (PsyCap) and quiet ego (QE). A correlational study of B2B sales professionals conducted in Europe and Asia found PsyCap positively mediated the relationships between boundary-spanning task overload (BSTO) and both sales performance (SP) and flourishing (FL). QE also had a positive mediating role to FL but, counterintuitively, a negative mediating role to SP. Curvilinear effects for QE were identified such that silent and noisy egos were positively associated with SP. Culture also moderated the relationship between BSTO and both PsyCap and QE.

Short biography：

Dr. Jonathan Ross Gilbert is a marketing scholar, award-winning educator, and social justice advocate. His current research examines the role of marketing strategy as a means of enhancing consumer and human well-being, the impact of positive psychological factors on performance outcomes in global B2B sales, and the promotion of agile learning through innovative pedagogies in higher education. He has published peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, Journal of International Advertising, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Selling, and other high-quality outlets. Prior to entering academia, he worked as a general manager and turnaround specialist in the telecommunications, media and entertainment industries.