The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is making headlines this week with an announcement about one of its latest research endeavors. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the university business school has launched a study to look at what motivates and drives sales workers throughout the United States. The researchers that are a part of the study are hoping to find out what factors drive a person who works in marketing and advertising sales, and they are also hoping to discover how outside factors truly impact performance in the work place.
The fact of the matter is, people who work in sales have to sell their product in order to make a living. Whether that is advertising space on a website or in a print publication, or it is a tangible product that people will use in their everyday lives. These people have to get motivated and stay enthused about their job in order to make sales, and in turn make a living. Most sales jobs in the United States are based on commission, meaning that the person gets paid a percentage of the sale that they make. The findings of this study will ultimately help employers figure out how to best motivate their own sales people.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln business school is not the only organization that is involved in the research. The school has partnered with the National Research Corporation. Together, the National Research Corporation and the university will craft a study that evaluates what the motivating factors are for people who work in marketing or sales positions. The National Research Corporation is based out of Lincoln, Nebraska as well, and works to ensure that health care providers have the information, data and research they need to improve services and the patient experience.
The National Research Corporation is participating by asking its sales employees to participate in the study. The company, which has a sales team that works for it, will ask interested employees to participate in several surveys throughout the year. The current plan is to have sales people complete an online survey at least four times in the calendar year. In addition to taking the surveys, the sales workers will also attend a three-hour-long seminar. The survey will ask the employees questions about their own personal hope and resilience, their efficacy and their level of optimism. The results will then help researchers analyze how these factors impact the performance of sales people across the country.
The lead research professional on the project is Professor Fred Luthans, who is an expert in leadership, organizational behavior and international management. He is the editor of the journal Organizational Dynamics and he serves as co-editor of several other professional publications. He has been working at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for more than 45 years and has been recognized numerous times for his work in business research. In a statement, Luthans said he is looking forward to expanding his research and is interested to delve into the field of sales and marketing.