The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Making a sales advisor: the limits of training 'instrumental empathy'

Making a sales advisor: the limits of training 'instrumental empathy'
Making a sales advisor: the limits of training 'instrumental empathy'
The use of participant observation is relatively rare in qualitative studies of vocational education and training. However, such an approach provides a detailed picture of training content and how what is taught contributes to or impedes learning. Based on participant observation, this paper examines the training of sales advisors in a large chain of private fitness clubs. It shows that although the training course taught trainees how to control and enchant customers, once back on 'home' territory trainees approached customers with far less instrumental empathy than they had been taught. This contrast is explained by reference to the past dispositions of sales workers and the local conditions in which the selling process takes place.
training, instrumental empathy, sales, participant observation
1363-6820
209-221
Kakavelakis, Konstantinos
d0a26962-968e-448c-94c0-3a5f2087ad5a
Felstead, Alan
514e6ef7-2443-49aa-883e-706911d9191d
Fuller, Alison
c6b47796-05b5-4548-b67e-2ca2f2010fef
Jewson, Nick
f96f4be3-d026-4140-9c81-265d74aab544
Unwin, Lorna
8203040c-b1e8-4948-bc2e-4bb2db648720
Kakavelakis, Konstantinos
d0a26962-968e-448c-94c0-3a5f2087ad5a
Felstead, Alan
514e6ef7-2443-49aa-883e-706911d9191d
Fuller, Alison
c6b47796-05b5-4548-b67e-2ca2f2010fef
Jewson, Nick
f96f4be3-d026-4140-9c81-265d74aab544
Unwin, Lorna
8203040c-b1e8-4948-bc2e-4bb2db648720

Kakavelakis, Konstantinos, Felstead, Alan, Fuller, Alison, Jewson, Nick and Unwin, Lorna (2008) Making a sales advisor: the limits of training 'instrumental empathy'. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 60 (3), 209-221. (doi:10.1080/13636820802305546).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The use of participant observation is relatively rare in qualitative studies of vocational education and training. However, such an approach provides a detailed picture of training content and how what is taught contributes to or impedes learning. Based on participant observation, this paper examines the training of sales advisors in a large chain of private fitness clubs. It shows that although the training course taught trainees how to control and enchant customers, once back on 'home' territory trainees approached customers with far less instrumental empathy than they had been taught. This contrast is explained by reference to the past dispositions of sales workers and the local conditions in which the selling process takes place.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: September 2008
Keywords: training, instrumental empathy, sales, participant observation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 63790
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/63790
ISSN: 1363-6820
PURE UUID: 4ffd1fb8-e80f-455e-9931-05fca2ad64d2

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Nov 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 11:43

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Konstantinos Kakavelakis
Author: Alan Felstead
Author: Alison Fuller
Author: Nick Jewson
Author: Lorna Unwin

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×