Behavioral aspects of self-efficacy: A measurement of sales performance

Self-efficacy is an individual's belief in their abilities to perform a specific task. There is an abundance of literature, which seeks to understand sales performance. To date, a general self-efficacy concept has been the standard for the measurement of sales performance and there has not been a published study, which combines the three elements of sales performance, self-efficacy and sales communication behaviors.{09}It is proposed that a model of this type, which measures the self-efficacy and behaviors of getting, giving, using and planning will provide a more accurate explanation of sales performance than a general/global self-efficacy model. This study used a sampling of 110 pharmaceutical sales representatives to measure general self-efficacy, specific self-efficacy, behaviors and sales performance. With the results, the research tested nine hypothesis, resulting in the following conclusions: The self-efficacy of behaviors getting, giving, using and planning are correlated with performance of these behaviors, yet the correlation is negative. Increased self-efficacy of behaviors actually proved to decrease performance of those behaviors, yet the increase in behaviors resulted in increased sales performance. The findings of this study indicated that the specific self-efficacy model provides a significant explanation of sales performance, as opposed to the general self-efficacy model, which did not prove to be significant.