To conclude the findings related to research question, the first theme seems to be supported by the findings. According to Sujan et. al (2004) learning orientation continuously builds knowledge and helps in mastering in the desired field. All interviewees tried to give same meaning of learning from the different dimension and prospective, however, learning adaptation impacts on the learning process and knowledge acquisition.
The findings are aligned with literature (Madhavaram & McDonald, 2009) highlighting that knowledge acquisition is the process of extracting knowledge from various sources. All participants shared that they acquire knowledge in various form via experiencing, understanding, learning and observing. Same author referred that the existing knowledge and new acquired knowledge should be integrated to form new strategy. In addition to that some of the participant acquired knowledge by self-learning from several sources in order to develop new knowledge.
The finding reveals that the role of salesperson is to identify the target, by knowing, what they must do and how they should do in order to fetch success, are important. The finding indicates the literatures (Gold, Malhotra, & Sagar, 2001, Chan and Chao, 2008)) that the knowledge capability is the professional capital, which helps them to integrate their previous knowledge with latest information. In addition, these knowledges encourage them to interact and collaborate with people inside the organization. Similarly, they form team to
47 fulfill their task. In the team, they share their individual best knowledges in order to complete their responsibilities, and they generate new knowledges. Then, the best collective knowledge works and remains as the best form of new knowledge.
To conclude the findings related with second theme, it shows that interviewees knowledge building process depends on their knowledge integrating capacity. It is a constant process, there are no immediate solutions for strategy building however it relies on knowledge grafting between previous knowledge and experience either alone or in a team. It seems that knowledge acquiring capabilities depend on person, how they see the situation, likewise they prepare themselves. However, knowledge sharing, and knowledge capturing is essential for the knowledge integration, which leads to form new knowledge (Leach & Liu ., 2003).
Based on the findings, it seems that knowledge-based capabilities grew constantly on them, however their previous job experience, education and professional training were also key factors for knowledge integration. On the other hand, their personal ability to work harder and learn significantly impacted on their knowledge growth. The finding implies that professionals’ knowledge-integration capabilities were mostly developed from their motivation to learn new things, who wanted to improve all the time. They worked consistently in order to learn something and develop their notion. In addition to that interviewees were aware that the job markets were changing and demanding more from their knowledge and experiences.
When reflecting the findings through academic literature, it shows that the sales professionals must always be ready to be changed in a way market changes.
Teece et. al (1997) suggest that they need to adjust their resources as per the situation, which means professionals need to have information on new market update and consumers mega trends, so that they could create innovative strategies for sales operation. In a concluding fact, same authors highlight that sales department should build their competitive strategy in a way that nobody
48 could imitate. Furthermore, it has been observed that knowledge acquisition and knowledge integration are the foundation for strategic management and supports on bringing departmental changes or even corporate changes collectively.
To conclude the findings related with third theme, knowledge grafting was included to understand synergistic knowledge growth. The findings have revealed that knowledge grafting process happens throughout the selling process and it influences every individual to perform accordingly. Generally, experience and knowledge of the sales professionals somehow impact on knowledge building. However, due to the limitation of the thesis, I have categorized knowledge grafting process with three focal features, they are knowledge acquisition, knowledge integration, and synergistic knowledge outcome. In the knowledge building process, it seems that each feature has somehow interdependency to each other.
When knowledge-based strategy was explored in the wider spectrum, the findings are somehow related with past literature. The acquisition of knowledge through various experiences usually transferred and integrated to create values in the sales process, as Teece et. al (2008) referred that acquired knowledge, transferred knowledge and integrated knowledge highly influences to the future knowledge. In addition to that in accordance to the literature by Calipha et. al (2018) suggesting that those three aspects may well be the reason for the synergistic knowledge growth, and precisely associated in the strategy formulation. The development of knowledge capabilities via synergistic growth of individual sales professional knowledge differ with each other, their aptitude to work, learn, motivation, knowledge, and experience particularly facilitates on new strategy formulation.
Now, the knowledge building process appeared to follow academic literature by Madhavaram and McDonland (2010), it shows that knowledge-based sales management strategy emerges from the knowledge grafting process. The
49 conceptual framework for knowledge-based strategy formulation discusses micro (sales professionals) aspects in the sales management rather than macro (sales function). Therefore, actual strategy formulation capabilities differ from person by person. Furthermore, the finding shows that the strategy formulation varied in accordance with their competence. It also revealed that the strategy formulation process depends on their current job responsibilities and their capabilities on executing their task.
Sales professionals emphasized the most on individual experiences, when creating new strategy. It is natural phenomena that everyone has its own way to act. However, the combination of their knowledge with organizational needs are underlined. This seemed that it is also in accordance with the academic literature by Ryans and Weinberg (1981), as finding noted that the performance of a sales professional regarded as function of product knowledge, customer knowledge, knowledge of company policies and procedures, and interpersonal &
communicational skills. It showed that there was a strong indication that new sales strategy is formulated in order to create new strategy. The knowledge-based sales management capabilities helped them to accumulate and use their knowledge as needed in the sales process.
Moreover, Easterby-Smith and Prieto (2008) contend that individual knowledge capabilities of sales professionals have most important influences on strategic knowledge management and emphasize renewal of resources by reconfiguring them into new capabilities. This gives the impression with the academic literature by Teece et. al. (2008), as pinpointed that knowledge management focuses on providing solutions to sales professionals to create, retain, transfer and use of tacit and explicit knowledge successfully. As findings indicated that sales professional’s competence on performing their job responsibility can possibly have a role on the strategy design though out the sales process.
However, it can be concluded that knowledge grafting process has the greatest impact on strategy creation.
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