Date of Award
6-2014
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Department
Marketing
First Advisor
Dr. Joseph Hair
Second Advisor
Dr. Chad Autry
Third Advisor
Dr. Barry Babin
Abstract
An increasingly globalized world requires businesses to operate across countries and cultures. Managing a business in international markets adds complexity and challenges that can lead to strategic mistakes in dealing with customers, employees and suppliers. Culture impacts many aspects of business. Proper management of culture can lead to competitive advantages. Companies use sales incentives to motivate their sales force and customers in an effort to optimize sales performance. Despite a growing interest in international sales research, few studies address the impact of culture on sales performance. This research will contribute by exploring the moderating effect of culture on sales incentives and sales performance. The dissertation includes a theoretical model based on existing sales literature and Gert Hofstede’s extensive cultural research. Hofstede’s original framework contained four cultural dimensions, which have been extensively researched, though rarely applied to sales performance. Hofstede later added two new dimensions to his original paradigm; this study is the first to test all six dimensions. The dissertation uses sales data from a global company to test the model and attempt to predict the cultural impact on sales incentives and sales performance.