title: Sales Role Enrichment: Applying the Job Characteristics Model to New Zealand Salespeople

authors: Liddell, Christopher John

subjects: Job Characteristics Model

abstract: This study examined sales roles and salespeople in New Zealand through the lens of the Job Characteristics Model (JCM). Specifically, the direct relationships between role enrichment characteristics, psychological states, and job satisfaction were examined as well as the moderation effects of growth need strength (GNS), locus of control (LOC) and openness to experience (OTE) within these relationships. One hundred and ninety-nine salespeople completed an online survey which asked them to provide information about their role and personality. Respondents came from a number of industries, with real estate, fashion and electronics featuring most prominently. Following reliability analysis and factor analysis, correlation analyses were conducted to ascertain the direct relationships between role enrichment, critical psychological states and job satisfaction. Moderation analysis was conducted to provide information about the effects of GNS, LOC and OTE.

The results provided support for the all the hypothesised direct relationships in the JCM, with all relationships found to be significant and positive. The findings confirmed that role enrichment, critical psychological states, and job satisfaction are positively interrelated for New Zealand salespeople. The results also suggested that the JCM has a high level of applicability within a New Zealand sales context. The results were less supportive of the proposed moderation hypotheses, with moderation only observed in three of twenty-four analyses. LOC moderated the relationship between skill variety and experienced meaningfulness, as well as between feedback and knowledge of results. GNS moderated the relationship between experienced meaningfulness and job satisfaction. No moderation effects were observed for OTE.

The findings of this study indicate that role enrichment is an important consideration in designing sales roles from which New Zealand sales professionals can derive high levels of job satisfaction. Though causation cannot be inferred from the results of this study, there appeared to be reasonable support for the notion that enriched roles enhance the psychological states of salespeople, which in turn increases their job satisfaction. In particular, this appeared to be an appropriate consideration for individuals with high growth need strength levels and an internal LOC. Thus, it is suggested that employers of salespeople endeavour to provide enrichment to their salespeople, as well as seek to develop individuals with high GNS and internal LOC in roles where enrichment is introduced.
Longitudinal research into the JCM within a New Zealand sales context is recommended to provide confirmatory information regarding the direction of causality between role enrichment characteristics, critical psychological states and job satisfaction. Further investigation of specific sales role types is also recommended in order to provide data that is applicable to specific industries or role types. Further research into role enrichment dimensions may also be warranted in order to ascertain whether the distinctions between role dimensions outlined in the JCM are appropriate within a New Zealand sales context.

text: Sales Role Enrichment: Applying the Job Characteristics Model to New Zealand Salespeople This study examined sales roles and salespeople in New Zealand through the lens of the Job Characteristics Model (JCM). Specifically, the direct relationships between role enrichment characteristics, psychological states, and job satisfaction were examined as well as the moderation effects of growth need strength (GNS), locus of control (LOC) and openness to experience (OTE) within these relationships. One hundred and ninety-nine salespeople completed an online survey which asked them to provide information about their role and personality. Respondents came from a number of industries, with real estate, fashion and electronics featuring most prominently. Following reliability analysis and factor analysis, correlation analyses were conducted to ascertain the direct relationships between role enrichment, critical psychological states and job satisfaction. Moderation analysis was conducted to provide information about the effects of GNS, LOC and OTE.

The results provided support for the all the hypothesised direct relationships in the JCM, with all relationships found to be significant and positive. The findings confirmed that role enrichment, critical psychological states, and job satisfaction are positively interrelated for New Zealand salespeople. The results also suggested that the JCM has a high level of applicability within a New Zealand sales context. The results were less supportive of the proposed moderation hypotheses, with moderation only observed in three of twenty-four analyses. LOC moderated the relationship between skill variety and experienced meaningfulness, as well as between feedback and knowledge of results. GNS moderated the relationship between experienced meaningfulness and job satisfaction. No moderation effects were observed for OTE.

The findings of this study indicate that role enrichment is an important consideration in designing sales roles from which New Zealand sales professionals can derive high levels of job satisfaction. Though causation cannot be inferred from the results of this study, there appeared to be reasonable support for the notion that enriched roles enhance the psychological states of salespeople, which in turn increases their job satisfaction. In particular, this appeared to be an appropriate consideration for individuals with high growth need strength levels and an internal LOC. Thus, it is suggested that employers of salespeople endeavour to provide enrichment to their salespeople, as well as seek to develop individuals with high GNS and internal LOC in roles where enrichment is introduced.
Longitudinal research into the JCM within a New Zealand sales context is recommended to provide confirmatory information regarding the direction of causality between role enrichment characteristics, critical psychological states and job satisfaction. Further investigation of specific sales role types is also recommended in order to provide data that is applicable to specific industries or role types. Further research into role enrichment dimensions may also be warranted in order to ascertain whether the distinctions between role dimensions outlined in the JCM are appropriate within a New Zealand sales context.

year: 2013

title: Important Messages from Students' Responsive Writing: s a big holloboleoos

authors: Vanstone, Brooke

subjects: children's written language

abstract: This thesis explores responsive written feedback as a means of mediating the written language of six to eight year olds, including students traditionally minoritised within mainstream New Zealand classrooms because of cultural and/or language differences.  This research aimed to develop understandings about the effect responsive writing has on all of the students who participated, including those students whose second language was English.

A review of the literature identified the importance of socio-cultural contexts for mediating students' learning, including a specific examination of responsive written feedback and its effects on students' written language in English and in Māori medium settings.  Chapter two presents the mixed methods approach utilised in this research, which involves a retrospective look at two different responsive writing studies.  In chapters three and four, the results from these two studies are presented in terms of how effectively the responsive writing was undertaken by the responders and the extent to which the responsive writing strategy mediated both the quality and quantity of writing for the students who participated, including students whose second language was English.  These results suggest a very positive impact from mediating the learning of all students, including second language learners, within the context of responsive written feedback. The thesis concludes with implications for other teachers, from the existing students' outcome data and participants' interviews.

text: Important Messages from Students' Responsive Writing: s a big holloboleoos This thesis explores responsive written feedback as a means of mediating the written language of six to eight year olds, including students traditionally minoritised within mainstream New Zealand classrooms because of cultural and/or language differences.  This research aimed to develop understandings about the effect responsive writing has on all of the students who participated, including those students whose second language was English.

A review of the literature identified the importance of socio-cultural contexts for mediating students' learning, including a specific examination of responsive written feedback and its effects on students' written language in English and in Māori medium settings.  Chapter two presents the mixed methods approach utilised in this research, which involves a retrospective look at two different responsive writing studies.  In chapters three and four, the results from these two studies are presented in terms of how effectively the responsive writing was undertaken by the responders and the extent to which the responsive writing strategy mediated both the quality and quantity of writing for the students who participated, including students whose second language was English.  These results suggest a very positive impact from mediating the learning of all students, including second language learners, within the context of responsive written feedback. The thesis concludes with implications for other teachers, from the existing students' outcome data and participants' interviews.

year: 2008

title: Cultural diversity and identity discourses in the design and implementation of the New Zealand curriculum key competencies: a Bernsteinian analysis

authors: Glogowski, Sonia Theresa

subjects: Culture

abstract: The key competencies as a curriculum construct have appeared in several national curricula from the early 2000s. Many have their origins in the Definition and Selection of Key Competencies Project (DeSeCo), commissioned by the supra-national Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A number of international critiques have highlighted tensions between neoliberal ideologies that underpin the key competencies, and broader socio-cultural and social justice issues within their respective countries (e.g., Crick, 2008; Sjøberg, 2016; Takayama, 2013).
This research investigated who and what influenced the design and implementation of the key competencies in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum, and how students’ cultural diversity and identities were considered as part of this. Data for this case study were collected from three sources: interviews with key policy officials and academic consultants six years after the launch of the official curriculum; analysis of policy documents and discussion papers from government archives, and focus group interviews with teachers from two schools seven years into implementation. Bernstein’s (2000) theory of the pedagogical device, was used to focus analysis on the agents, influences, debates and events that impacted on the design and implementation of the curriculum. Fraser’s (1989) needs’ discourse theory was used to examine interpretations of cultural diversity and identity, and the implications of implicit valued attitudes and behaviours of the key competencies.
Findings indicated that in the New Zealand educational policy context, the roles and interactions between agents and processes in the fields of production and reproduction were more ‘fluid’ and consultative than Bernstein’s (2000) structuralist model would suggest. This may be reflective of New Zealand’s small population and more informal collaboration between agents in different fields. The development of this curriculum prioritised the ‘process’ of understanding curriculum through consultation and feedback, compared to previous curricula which were more focussed on curriculum as a ‘product’.
New Zealand’s socio-political climate, and its bicultural Treaty of Waitangi, appeared to impact on how the key competencies were conceived, and how student diversity and identity were interpreted at different points in the curriculum design and implementation process. Interviews with key policy officials and academic consultants revealed that cultural diversity was largely associated with ethnicity, and in particular, differences between indigenous Māori and Pākehā (New Zealand European). Less attention was given to the concept of multiple identities and intersections between ethnicity, socio economic class, gender and so on, and how these might influence interpretations of the key competencies. This was despite evidence of early discussion papers highlighting these complexities.
At the curriculum implementation level, Bernstein (2000) argues that schools and teachers can often ‘reproduce’ middle class values and expected behaviours through ‘invisible’ pedagogical practices, with little awareness of potential disjuncts for disadvantaged groups. Yet he also states that this is not necessarily deterministic, and the finding for the two school focus groups demonstrated this. Despite no evidence that student diversity was a specific aspect of their professional development on key competencies, the teachers discussed some complexities of student diversity in their schools and how the key competencies might be interpreted in different ways. However, given the case study schools were considered to be particularly ‘diverse’, this type of discussion and consideration may not be typical of other New Zealand schools.
The findings support the notion that the New Zealand curriculum key competencies were ‘weakly classified’ and ‘strongly framed’ (Bernstein, 2000). This means a high level of interpretation was located with school leaders and teachers, within the context of a permissive curriculum and thus presents both opportunities and risks.
This case study highlights the importance of agents in every field understanding the complexities and implications of diversity in education. In addition, if the key competencies genuinely seek to enhance both vocational and social justice outcomes for a more cohesive and equitable society, then education for diversity would seem to be important.
This research contributes new knowledge in relation to the process of curriculum design, highlighting the impact of a unique socio-political context on the interpretation of a curriculum construct, and the implications of ‘valued’ attitudes and behaviours of the key competencies on diverse students. It provides an example of how Bernstein’s (2000) theory of the pedagogical device can be used to identify important influences and processes that impact on the different stages of a curriculum design and implementation process. It also illustrates how the device can be usefully complemented by another theory, in this case Fraser’s (1989) needs discourse theory, to examine more closely the discourse that relates to a particular lens of the research.

text: Cultural diversity and identity discourses in the design and implementation of the New Zealand curriculum key competencies: a Bernsteinian analysis The key competencies as a curriculum construct have appeared in several national curricula from the early 2000s. Many have their origins in the Definition and Selection of Key Competencies Project (DeSeCo), commissioned by the supra-national Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). A number of international critiques have highlighted tensions between neoliberal ideologies that underpin the key competencies, and broader socio-cultural and social justice issues within their respective countries (e.g., Crick, 2008; Sjøberg, 2016; Takayama, 2013).
This research investigated who and what influenced the design and implementation of the key competencies in the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum, and how students’ cultural diversity and identities were considered as part of this. Data for this case study were collected from three sources: interviews with key policy officials and academic consultants six years after the launch of the official curriculum; analysis of policy documents and discussion papers from government archives, and focus group interviews with teachers from two schools seven years into implementation. Bernstein’s (2000) theory of the pedagogical device, was used to focus analysis on the agents, influences, debates and events that impacted on the design and implementation of the curriculum. Fraser’s (1989) needs’ discourse theory was used to examine interpretations of cultural diversity and identity, and the implications of implicit valued attitudes and behaviours of the key competencies.
Findings indicated that in the New Zealand educational policy context, the roles and interactions between agents and processes in the fields of production and reproduction were more ‘fluid’ and consultative than Bernstein’s (2000) structuralist model would suggest. This may be reflective of New Zealand’s small population and more informal collaboration between agents in different fields. The development of this curriculum prioritised the ‘process’ of understanding curriculum through consultation and feedback, compared to previous curricula which were more focussed on curriculum as a ‘product’.
New Zealand’s socio-political climate, and its bicultural Treaty of Waitangi, appeared to impact on how the key competencies were conceived, and how student diversity and identity were interpreted at different points in the curriculum design and implementation process. Interviews with key policy officials and academic consultants revealed that cultural diversity was largely associated with ethnicity, and in particular, differences between indigenous Māori and Pākehā (New Zealand European). Less attention was given to the concept of multiple identities and intersections between ethnicity, socio economic class, gender and so on, and how these might influence interpretations of the key competencies. This was despite evidence of early discussion papers highlighting these complexities.
At the curriculum implementation level, Bernstein (2000) argues that schools and teachers can often ‘reproduce’ middle class values and expected behaviours through ‘invisible’ pedagogical practices, with little awareness of potential disjuncts for disadvantaged groups. Yet he also states that this is not necessarily deterministic, and the finding for the two school focus groups demonstrated this. Despite no evidence that student diversity was a specific aspect of their professional development on key competencies, the teachers discussed some complexities of student diversity in their schools and how the key competencies might be interpreted in different ways. However, given the case study schools were considered to be particularly ‘diverse’, this type of discussion and consideration may not be typical of other New Zealand schools.
The findings support the notion that the New Zealand curriculum key competencies were ‘weakly classified’ and ‘strongly framed’ (Bernstein, 2000). This means a high level of interpretation was located with school leaders and teachers, within the context of a permissive curriculum and thus presents both opportunities and risks.
This case study highlights the importance of agents in every field understanding the complexities and implications of diversity in education. In addition, if the key competencies genuinely seek to enhance both vocational and social justice outcomes for a more cohesive and equitable society, then education for diversity would seem to be important.
This research contributes new knowledge in relation to the process of curriculum design, highlighting the impact of a unique socio-political context on the interpretation of a curriculum construct, and the implications of ‘valued’ attitudes and behaviours of the key competencies on diverse students. It provides an example of how Bernstein’s (2000) theory of the pedagogical device can be used to identify important influences and processes that impact on the different stages of a curriculum design and implementation process. It also illustrates how the device can be usefully complemented by another theory, in this case Fraser’s (1989) needs discourse theory, to examine more closely the discourse that relates to a particular lens of the research.

year: 2020