Date of Award

6-2003

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

College of Education, Doctoral Program

First Advisor

Taccarino, John

Second Advisor

Sylvester, Duncan P.

Third Advisor

Hocter, William J.

Abstract

Emotional intelligence is a theoretical framework that organizes and integrates empirical research regarding emotions. Personal selling is the most effective marketing communication vehicle available to organizations because of its ability to adapt to specific customer needs. While two bodies of research have evolved regarding emotional intelligence theory and sales success predictors, little research has been carried out to link these two concepts together. This exploratory study tested a model of emotional intelligence and a measure of sales performance. The participants for the investigation were sales representatives in the personal home products industry. One hundred twenty-eight adult sales professionals completed a measure of emotional intelligence and sales performance data. Overall, the results supported the main hypothesis, which was that emotional intelligence positively related to sales performance. Moreover, the findings showed that the emotional intelligence of high performing sales professionals was significantly different from the emotional intelligence of low performing sales professionals. Age, formal education, professional experience, and ethnicity did not moderate the relationship between emotional intelligence and sales performance. The findings suggest that emotional intelligence, when viewed from a global perspective, provides a valuable link with existing theories regarding sales success.

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