Persisting Changes in Sales Due to Global Pandemic Challenges
Introduction
Special issue of the Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management; Deadline 31 Jan 2022
INTEREST CATEGORY: SELLING AND SALES MAN
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals
Author: Nick Lee
Call for Papers: Special Issue
PERSISTING CHANGES IN SALES DUE TO GLOBAL PANDEMIC CHALLENGES
Guest Co-Editors
Valerie Good, Grand Valley State University
Maria Rouziou, HEC Montreal
Ellen Pullins, University of Toledo
Special Issue Background Information
The global health pandemic triggered many challenges for businesses and society – from store closures to supply chain disruptions to labor shortages and beyond. Organizations and salespeople alike were forced to pivot. Among other changes, tried and true strategies were no longer available, sales managers were left with only virtual tools to manage, and face-to-face meetings were halted. New technologies and channels emerged, and interactions with customers were modified. Many practitioners predict that some of these changes will continue to persist in the future – that is, personal selling and sales management has evolved. The theme of this special issue centers on those changes that will persist into the post pandemic era – how has sales changed? what is the mechanism? what have we learned? and where do we go from here?
All methodologies and paper types are welcome; we welcome theoretical, qualitative, and quantitative studies at any level of analysis. The special issue editors also encourage submissions with global perspectives. Indeed, salespeople from different countries likely encountered unique experiences based on separate government interventions and mitigation tactics. Thus, any persisting changes in personal selling, sales management, and/or sales processes will be of value to the readers of JPSSM.
Examples of possible topics* include, but are not limited to:
- Identification of changes to sales processes, the sales profession, or sales research.
- Rethinking sales channels.
- The institutionalization of technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, block chain, social media) and how such technologies influence personal selling.
- The lasting impact to the interface between sales and other functions/units (i.e., marketing, R&D, IT, etc.)
- Internal network dynamics.
- Labor shortages and the hiring crisis with respect to sales positions.
- Participation of salespeople and/or sales organization in institutional change processes.
- Maintaining sales culture in a virtual organization.
- The blurring and switching between sales and other organizational roles.
- Sales management during and post crises; coaching and managing sales teams virtually.
- Motivating and incentivizing salespeople.
- Balancing work- and home-life issues; gender equity.
- Salesperson wellness and resilience.
- Building trust and relationships virtually (with customers or co-workers).
- Changing customer preferences in B2B sales interactions.
*Authors may contact one of the special issue co-editors if they are unsure of the applicability of their topic.
Submission Information
The timing of the special issue will be:
January 31, 2022Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Initial submission to JPSSM review process
May-June 2022Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Revise papers based on JPSSM reviews
August 2022Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Resubmission of invited revisions
September 2022Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Finalize accepted paper
December 2022Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Publish special issue
Submissions must follow JPSSM Guidelines for Authors (). Only original papers not currently under review or published elsewhere may be submitted.