IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SALES COUNSELORS: AIRTEL NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

IMPACT OF MOTIVATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SALES COUNSELORS: AIRTEL NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

ABSTRACT

The main focus of this study was to investigate The Impact of Motivation on the Performance of Sales Counselors in Airtel Nigeria Service Centre. Five null hypotheses were formulated to direct the study. Survey design was adopted where two sales teams out of the four sales teams operated by the Calabar Service Centre of Airtel were surveyed. A twenty-four-item questionnaire was developed used to gather data and information needed for the research. A-test-retest reliability method with an average correlation coefficient of 0.9941 proved the instrument study was reliable. Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to test the five null hypotheses. The results if the study revealed that there are significant positive relationship between compensation plan, recognition, appreciation training programmes, internal competition and the performance of sales counselors. The conclusion was that motivation impacts on the performance of sales counselors. It was therefore recommended the decision making and policies involving compensation plans should be realistic and tangible, sales counselors should be effectively appreciated using appropriate communication modes. Other recommendations were the provision of adequate, constant, regular training and retraining of sales counselors, careful and tactical design, motivation and implementation of internal competition, should be used by Airtel Nigeria. The application of different motivational methods and packages to different categories of sales counselors at different times was also recommended. All the recommendations were all geared toward the improvement of the performance of sales counselors.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background of the Study

To compete in today‟s global markets, organizations strive to deliver their products (physical) and services (intangible) in both an efficient and effective manner.  In service supply chain, human labour forms a significant component of the value delivery process and physical handling of a product leads to standardized and centralized procedures and controls in manufacturing supply chains, (Sengupta et al 2008:1).  The focus of efficiencies in service supply chains is on management of capacity, flexibility of resources, information flows, service performance and cash flow management. Critical factors are demand management, customer relationship management and supplier relationship management in manufacturing supply chains and service supply chains.  Sales force in any company – big or small, manufacturing or service, are charged with generating product sales from assigned customer accounts in independent territories.  However, the evolving selling environment today is much more complex, demanding significant changes in performance metrics, goals, control and compensation.

South-East zone is an epitome of developing and concentrated businesses that engage sales force east of the Niger.  The role of sales and marketing is becoming increasingly important to manufacturing and service firms (big and SMEs) in the South-East.  Unfortunately, most of these companies do not apply the theories of sales management to their sales operations.  They usually rely on past experience or judgment.  Sales management is considered to be recognized management process activities involving the need to plan, set objectives, develop policies, procedures, strategies and tactics, to organize and co-ordinate, direct operations, motivate, communicate, develop staff, supervise and control and