A Competency Development Framework for a Continuously Learning Sales Unit
Lindberg, Katriina (2022)
2022
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060916945
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060916945
Tiivistelmä
This thesis is a research-based development work done in cooperation with a global organization in environmental technology field with a complex partner ecosystem
The purpose of this research is to gain in-depth understanding of the strategically important sales competencies, learning and development of these competencies, and development opportunities of these competencies in the target company. This contemporary and contextual understanding is then used as a bases of a development proposal that aims at improving the learning and development of competencies in organizational, unit and individual levels.
The research scope is limited to researching behavioral sales competencies only in the context of the target organization’s sales unit during the time and resources of this research. The project took place in between February and November in 2020. The research is case study research that focuses on a single case through qualitative and quantitative research methods. The data collection methods include the analysis of documents, theme-based interviews in focus groups and in 1-to-1 settings, observations, and a closed-option survey. The analysis of data is done through content analysis method. The validity and reliability of research results are confirmed through triangulation of different data sources, saturation of interview data, peer- reviewing and careful documentation of the project proceedings.
The research results cover eleven identifiable sales competencies that drive sales performance and that these competencies are learned mainly through informal individual learning opportunities. The research results present plenty of organization, unit, and individual level development opportunities. All and all, the research results offer in-depth understanding of the researched topics in their context.
The research did not offer any new information to the wider research community. They enforced the results of prior research. The research results give an in-depth, contemporary and context sensitive understanding of the researched phenomenon in the target organization and offer a case of adaptation of the related theories in practice. They cannot be adopted to other use cases as such.
A development proposal is a competency development framework including a process supported by sales role specific tools like a sales competency profile, competency gap analysis instrument and a compilation of unit and individual level learning and development opportunities supported by the target organization. The efficacy of the proposal is not examined in this work, and it may be affected by macro-economic changes caused by the Covid-19, which effects were not considered in this project.
The purpose of this research is to gain in-depth understanding of the strategically important sales competencies, learning and development of these competencies, and development opportunities of these competencies in the target company. This contemporary and contextual understanding is then used as a bases of a development proposal that aims at improving the learning and development of competencies in organizational, unit and individual levels.
The research scope is limited to researching behavioral sales competencies only in the context of the target organization’s sales unit during the time and resources of this research. The project took place in between February and November in 2020. The research is case study research that focuses on a single case through qualitative and quantitative research methods. The data collection methods include the analysis of documents, theme-based interviews in focus groups and in 1-to-1 settings, observations, and a closed-option survey. The analysis of data is done through content analysis method. The validity and reliability of research results are confirmed through triangulation of different data sources, saturation of interview data, peer- reviewing and careful documentation of the project proceedings.
The research results cover eleven identifiable sales competencies that drive sales performance and that these competencies are learned mainly through informal individual learning opportunities. The research results present plenty of organization, unit, and individual level development opportunities. All and all, the research results offer in-depth understanding of the researched topics in their context.
The research did not offer any new information to the wider research community. They enforced the results of prior research. The research results give an in-depth, contemporary and context sensitive understanding of the researched phenomenon in the target organization and offer a case of adaptation of the related theories in practice. They cannot be adopted to other use cases as such.
A development proposal is a competency development framework including a process supported by sales role specific tools like a sales competency profile, competency gap analysis instrument and a compilation of unit and individual level learning and development opportunities supported by the target organization. The efficacy of the proposal is not examined in this work, and it may be affected by macro-economic changes caused by the Covid-19, which effects were not considered in this project.