When intelligence is (dys)functional for achieving sales performance

The present article was taken from the Journal of Marketing. The general purpose of the Journal of Marketing is to provide information about the recent needs and trends in marketing. The journal specifically deals with new techniques utilized for solving marketing problems, reporting of research that could aid in reviewing market trends, providing reliable and valid findings, and presenting ideas, theories, and illustrations that have only recently entered the field and practice of marketing. In order to provide all of these information, the journal is published quarterly by the American Marketing Association and the primary editor is Ronald T. Rust and is primarily an online publication. Journal of Marketing was established 1936 and is still currently in publication.

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For this particular article, the authors were all highly esteemed academicians with good credentials. Prof. Willem Verbeke is a professor in Sales and Account Management in Erasmus University Rotterdam, Asst. Prof. Frank Belschak is affiliated with the Human Resources Management-Organizational Behavior Department of the University of Amsterdam, Prof. Arnold Bakker is affiliated with Work and Organizational Psychology also in Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Bart Dietz is an assistant professor of the Organisation and Personnel Management Department of the same university.

The article focuses on the relationship between general mental ability (GMA) and social competence and thinking styles of salesperson in helping them reach their sales goals. It is believed that high GMA, high social competence, and more diverse thinking styles enable a salesperson to come up with new ways to solve particular problems encountered in the workplace and thus allow them to achieve sales goals easier. The study found significant interaction between GMA and social competence. High social competence and high GMA resulted in higher sales performance. High GMA paired with low social competence led, however, to low sales performance. It is clear, therefore, that high GMA can yield better salespeople only when it is coupled with particular skills such as social competence.

Reference
Verbeke, W. J., Belschak, F. D., Bakker, A. B., & Dietz, B. (2008). When intelligence is (dys)functional for achieving sales performance. Journal of Marketing. 72(4), pp. 44-57.