Analyzing the role of employees' individual capabilities in business sales performance with the mediating role of competitive intensity and sales behavior

EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 
Introduction: The vastness of the world of competition and the effort to win in this field leads organizations to have high performance and develop competitive resources for success. Because, having a high and unique performance that shows the effective image of an organization's position in implementing its plans is a forward and value-creating step towards the organization's vision. It is for this reason that having a high and efficient performance leads to the promotion of the position and attitude towards the organization and will provide the input of countless resources for the organization. In this regard, what can be effective in growing and moving the organization in the path of effective performance is its resources, especially human resources. Human resources are the main and valuable assets in the organization that are responsible for implementing the plans and strategies of the organization. So that, the employees of an organization being equipped with functional capabilities and features have a potential role in the success of performance and increase of financial resources, and they have a significant contribution in better understanding the distinguishing features from other competitors during sales. Spiro & Weitz (1990) argued that sales performance varies greatly depending on whether salespeople use the same approach to customers or adopt different approaches to align with customer characteristics and circumstances. Sales behavior is evaluated as a separate sales skill to improve sales performance. Saxe & Weitz (1982) clearly stated the situation in which customer orientation is effective in the same study and considered that this concept is valid at any time and any place and considered it as a concept that replaces all sales activities. does not place A customer-centric sales approach is inevitably costly. This issue can only clarify the situations where the tool is more than the cost. Ardiwiriyanata (2023), devoted himself to a study and showed that the intensity of competition has a positive and significant effect on sales-oriented behavior and that sales-oriented behavior was able to significantly increase Sales performance has been affected. Personal selling ability and customer-oriented selling behavior have a significant impact. Customer-oriented behavior has had a significant impact on sales performance.
Methodology: The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The statistical population of this research is the supervisors and sellers of Himalaya household appliances in Mashhad in 1402, whose number is unknown. The sample size was determined based on Cochran's formula and using a non-random method available to 384 people. The data collection tool in this research is a standard research questionnaire by Amanover (2022). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to check the reliability of the questionnaire, and the obtained values ​​were 0.867 for employees' individual capabilities, 0.823 for customer-oriented sales behavior, 0.834 for sales-oriented behaviors, 0.825 for sales performance, and 0.825 for competition intensity. 0.861 confirms the reliability of the questionnaire. Also, the validity of the questionnaire was done using confirmatory factor analysis, and the obtained values ​​indicated the validity of the questionnaire. In addition, divergent validity was also confirmed, and data analysis was done using structural equations using SPSS and PLS software.
Results and Discussion: According to the obtained results, the first hypothesis of the research is confirmed, so it can be said that the personal capabilities of Himalaya household appliances employees in Mashhad affect customer-oriented behaviors. Regarding the second hypothesis, the results confirm this hypothesis, so it can be said that the personal capabilities of Himalaya household appliance employees in Mashhad have an effect on sales-oriented behaviors. . Regarding the third hypothesis, the results confirm the current hypothesis and it can be said that the customer-oriented behaviors of Himalaya home appliance employees in Mashhad have an effect on sales performance. The results of the investigation of the fourth hypothesis show that the sales-oriented behaviors of Mashhad's home appliance employees have an effect on sales performance. The results of the examination of the fifth hypothesis show that the intensity of competition between customer-oriented behaviors and the sales performance of Mashhad's home appliance employees has a moderating role. The results of the examination of the sixth hypothesis show that the intensity of competition plays a moderating role between sales-oriented behaviors and the sales performance of Mashhad's home appliance employees.
Conclusion: The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the role of individual capabilities of employees in business sales performance: investigating the role of competition intensity and sales behavior in Mashhad city. The results of research hypotheses show that the individual capabilities of employees directly and indirectly have a significant impact on the performance of Himalaya stores in Mashhad.