An ecosystems analysis of how sales managers develop salespeople

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and explain how leadership behaviors sales managers can enhance the development salespeople within context those interpersonal connections interactions that ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach authors collected analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with a sample 36 professionals. Over 47 hours were transcribed via NVivo. statements labeled as particular leader using Miles Huberman (1994) coding system. Findings identifies coaching, customer engaging, collaborating championing four key are relevant Specifically, coaching engaging individual microsystems salespeople; corresponding mesosystems. Analysis interview further revealed trust, confidence, optimism resilience relational elements tend coexist these in Practical implications This provides structure for organizations strengthen their ecosystem through targeted interventions training manage salespeople. Past research finds too often neglect type managerial training. Originality/value first examine lens Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Further, methodology, which relatively unique research, rich particularly useful exploring why things have happened.