Title: The effect of organisational sales management on dealership performance

Authors: Sekai Kida; Daniel Arturo Heller; Yusuke Tamura; Eiji Motohashi; Hidenori Sato; Yasuhiro Hattori

Addresses: Department of Commerce, Otaru University of Commerce, 3-5-21, Midori, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan ' Faculty of Global Management, Chuo University, 742-1 Higashi Nakano, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan ' Faculty of Business Administration, Matsuyama University, 4-2 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan ' Graduate School of International Social Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-1 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan ' Faculty of Business Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 3-29-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, Japan ' Graduate School of Business Administration, Kobe University, 2-1, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, Japan

Abstract: The objectives of this paper are to grasp the current situation of Japanese automobile dealers (sales outlets) and discover what the effective capability and management practices are for them. We analyse quantitative data obtained from questionnaires distributed to new vehicle sales outlets in the Tokyo region of Japan. We have three major findings. First, the overall sales performance of Japanese sales outlets appears to be unsustainably low, suggesting there will be ongoing consolidation even after a post-pandemic recovery. Second, the paper provides empirical evidence that there are significant differences in the new vehicle sales performance of sales outlets across vehicle brands and segments. Third, we found that acquisition capability and job role formalisation at sales outlets have significant negative effects on new vehicle sales performance. The results suggest the importance of role flexibility at sales outlets.

Keywords: sales management; car dealers; dealerships; showrooms; cross-functional cooperation; new customer acquisition; customer retention; formalisation; vehicle brands; Japan; managers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2023.133355

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2023 Vol.23 No.2/3, pp.144 - 170

Received: 30 Aug 2022
Accepted: 30 Nov 2022
Published online: 13 Sep 2023 *

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