Leading for Sustained Success: How Supervisor Leadership Styles Affect Employee Engagement in Pharmaceutical Sales Professionals

The leadership styles and behaviors of supervisors preferred by pharmaceutical sales professionals during periods of varied sales performance were explored in this qualitative study. A phenomenological approach was used to address the gap in research on how the leadership styles of the supervisors of pharmaceutical salespeople affect the engagement of their employees during periods when sales performance does and does not meet sales quota. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 pharmaceutical salespeople to capture their real-life experiences. Study findings showed that pharmaceutical sales professionals were not aware of their supervisors' leadership styles but were able to describe their leadership behaviors. Participants preferred recognition and praise, empathy, and trust from their supervisors during each type of sales performance. They did not find leadership behaviors that induced stress, inadequate communication, lack of direction, and poor emotional intelligence to be engaging. Most preferred their supervisors' behaviors to remain consistent when sales performance fluctuated. An unexpected finding was that pharmaceutical sales professionals stated their relationship with coworkers had an impact on their engagement in addition to their supervisors' leadership behaviors. Information from this study informs pharmaceutical company leaders on the importance of employee engagement of sales professionals in sustaining sales efforts during periods of varied sales performance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]