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For decades, (going back to the 1950s) the negative attitudes students hold towards salespeople and sales careers have been of concern to university educators and to employers seeking to recruit well-trained sales people. While the increasing demand for university educated salespeople continues to grow, employers are struggling to meet that demand. This study reports the impact of a professional selling course on changes in student perceptions regarding (a) the desirability of a professional selling career, (b) the usefulness of a professional selling course for developing selling skill sets in entry-level salespeople, (c) the customer orientation of salespeople, and (d) societal perceptions of salespeople. Results show that both male and female college students perceived the selling profession and salespeople more positively after taking the sales course, and that these students had positive perceptions regarding the skill set gained through such courses.

One of the most serious challenges facing the trucking industry is the future shortage of drivers. Although the driver shortage is less problematic now because of the current economic recession, it will again become a pressing problem because of changing demographics and trucking industry growth. Research shows that between 2005 and 2015, the industry will need to hire over 500,000 drivers. The problem of too few drivers is exacerbated by the fact that the trucking industry also faces driver turnover rates that in recent years have exceeded 100 percent. This study was designed to empirically investigate factors related to those two problems and to provide managers with further insights regarding those problems. One hundred four long-distance truck drivers were interviewed and asked a series of questions designed to uncover job aspects that drivers liked and disliked. Included are numerous verbatim driver statements which provide meaningful insights into their job satisfaction. Results showed that independence, the opportunity to see the country, good income, and the pleasure of driving were job features that drivers liked most. Drivers most disliked being away from home, high fuel prices, the lack of "4 wheeler" driving skills, government regulations, and loading/unloading issues. Comparisons of independent owner/operator and company drivers are presented and managerial implications of the findings are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined several factors related to the brand loyalty exhibited by fans of the Chicago Cubs major league baseball team. A total of 371 patrons of a restaurant located in Wrigleyville were surveyed prior to Cubs games at Wrigley Field. Working from a tripartite model of brand loyalty, it was predicted that, compared to less loyal fans, die-hard (extremely loyal) Cubs fans would demonstrate different attitudes and behaviors regarding the Chicago Cubs. Several hypotheses were developed and tested using descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, and ANOVA procedures. Significant differences between the two fan groups were found in the areas of brand loyalty, baseball knowledge, childhood exposure to Cubs' games, frequency of Cubs' game attendance, and likelihood of purchasing Cubs paraphernalia. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and future research suggestions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]