Information usage by sales professionals: a case study in a Brazilian large retail organization

Abstract

The main objective of this work is to identify how and why sales professionals in retail industry use information in their work routine. A case study was developed in a large retail organization situated in the Northeast region of Brazil, focusing on the deployment of a new store concept aimed at marketing mobile technology, using the dimensions of information use (sensemaking, knowledge creation and decision making) and environmental influences of salesforce as the major theoretical background. The documental analysis comprised organizational procedures, handbooks and performance program and also e-mails, presentations, intranet and Whatsapp log of the new store project group. Twelve people with different functions (managers, salespersons, support personnel and executive) from four stores were interviewed. The main findings are associated with the different levels of information usage in the three arenas with more emphasis on sense-making and less intensity on decision-making which is bounded by retail processes.

Keywords:
Information Use; Retail; Sensemaking; Knowledge Creation; Decision Making