Selling behaviours and sales performance: the moderating and mediating effects of interpersonal mentalizing

A random sample of independent insurance agents was surveyed to explore the relationships among learned behaviours, such as, adaptive selling and customer orientation and personal dispositions, such as, interpersonal mentalizing in predicting sales performance. The primary focus of this research was to reexamine salespeople's theory of mind in a broader theoretical base of human abilities. The results confirmed that the dimensions of interpersonal mentalizing, such as, taking a bird's-eye view, shaping the interaction by creating a positive ambience, detecting nonverbal cues and rapport building have different roles for the effectiveness of selling behaviours. While taking a bird's-eye view was a moderator, creating a positive ambience was a mediator of the relationship between selling behaviours and performance. Furthermore, salespeople's ability to build rapport improved sales performance only when they were able to detect nonverbal cues from customers. Taken together, these findings shed light on the complementary role of autonomous abilities of salespeople in improving the productivity of their learned selling behaviours. Several managerial implications were derived from the findings.     

再探猜谜作业中“顿悟”的ERP效应

采用事件相关电位(ERP)技术探讨顿悟问题（字谜）解决中提供答案后的脑内时程动态变化。结果发现,在250~400 ms内,“有顿悟”和“不理解”比“无顿悟”的ERP波形均有一个更为负向的偏移。在“有顿悟—无顿悟”和“不理解—无顿悟”的差异波中,这个负成分的潜伏期约为320 ms (N320),地形图显示,N320在中后部活动最强。进一步对“有顿悟—无顿悟”差异波作偶极子溯源分析,发现N320主要起源于扣带前回（ACC）附近。这似乎表明,N320可能反映了提供答案瞬间新旧思路之间的认知冲突,但是却不能真正揭示顿悟问题解决中思维定势的成功突破以及“恍然大悟”所对应的独特脑内时程变化     

创造性思维四阶段的神经基础

华莱士(Wallas)四阶段论是创造性思维过程研究的重要模型, 该模型认为创造性思维包括准备期、酝酿期、明朗期、验证期。相关神经机制研究表明, 准备期主要包括题目呈现前大脑状态和静息状态的研究, 内侧额叶/ACC及颞叶构成准备期网络; 酝酿期主要包括酝酿期提示、延迟顿悟以及心智游移的相关研究, 这一阶段涉及左右脑的共同参与, 海马、腹内侧前额叶等脑区在酝酿过程中起重要作用; 现有顿悟研究反映明朗期和验证期神经活动, 前额叶、扣带回、颞上回、海马、楔叶、楔前叶、舌回、小脑等在内的脑区构成其神经基础, 其中, 扣带回、前额叶在不同角度进行的研究中均有参与, 颞上回是负责远距离联想的关键脑区, 海马参与定势打破与新颖联系形成, 外侧额叶是定势转移的关键脑区, 楔前叶、左侧额下/额中回、舌回在原型激活中起关键作用, 左外侧前额叶参与对答案细节性的验证加工。未来研究可从研究对象、研究内容、研究手段三方面加以改进, 以对创造性思维过程作更系统的探讨。     

创造发明中顿悟的原型启发脑机制

科学界关于“原型启发”催化创造发明中顿悟发生的事例十分普遍, 从中国的“鲁班从带齿边的茅草中得到启发而发明锯子”的传说, 到“瓦特从沸腾的开水壶上受到启发而发明蒸汽机”的经典故事, 都说明“原型启发”是创造发明的一种重要思维方式。然而, 由于创造发明思维过程的复杂性, 国内外关于创造性思维脑机制的研究还停留在非科学问题解决的研究上。依据科学家运用原型启发而成功发明创造的最新实例, 项目组编制了《创造发明实验问题材料库》, 并计划以功能性磁共振成像(fMRI)和事件相关电位(ERP)作为技术手段系统探讨原型启发催化创造发明中顿悟发生的脑机制, 例如, 原型激活和启发信息利用的脑机制、问题意识下灵感捕捉的脑机制以及原型知识表征、动机与情绪状态、大脑工作状态等因素对原型启发影响的脑机制。该研究的开展, 对理解人类的创造性本质具有重要的理论意义, 对培养和激发人的创造力具有一定的实践价值。     

The Experience of Insight Follows Incubation in the Compound Remote Associates Task

The phenomenon of insight is frequently characterized by the experience of a sudden and certain solution. Anecdotal accounts suggest that insight frequently occurs after the problem solver has taken some time away from the problem (i.e., incubation). However, the mechanism by which incubation may facilitate insight problem‐solving remains unclear. Here, we used compound remote associates problems to explore the likely mechanisms by which incubation may facilitate problem‐solving. First, we manipulated problem fixation to explore whether forgetting can explain incubation effects. Second, leveraging previous work linking the experience of insight to unconscious semantic integration, we asked participants to report their experience of insight after each problem solution, including problems solved after a period of distracted incubation. We hypothesized that incubation was not principally important for forgetting but rather frequently causes a shift to a more unconscious semantic integration strategy. Consistent with this we found that initial problem fixation did not predict the improvement in problem‐solving after incubation and that participants were more likely to report insight on problems solved after incubation. Our findings suggest that incubation may facilitate insight problem‐solving leading to a mind‐set shift to a more unconscious problem‐solving strategy involving semantic integration.     

Drivers and outcomes of salespersons’ value opportunity recognition competence in solution selling

Abstract

In B2B markets, firms seek to provide customer solutions instead of merely selling goods or services. As boundary-spanners, salespeople are pivotal for implementing this strategic shift. Yet, extant literature provides limited insights into salesperson’s resources and competencies required for customer solutions, particularly in the early phases of solution selling. This research focuses on salesperson’s value opportunity recognition competence (VOR), which is a central requirement for salespeople to be able to navigate the early phases of solution selling. Analyzing large-scale, multi-level data of 799 salespeople and their respective sales managers in 29 sales organizations, the authors investigate the role of different salesperson resources and work environment characteristics for strengthening their VOR. The authors find that salespeople need both customer and technical knowledge, but customer knowledge is more important. Salespeople also can substitute individual technical knowledge with strong internal relations, but strong customer relations are no substitute for individual knowledge about customers’ business models and processes. Formalization turned out to be a double-edged sword in the context of VOR development, while transformational leadership has positive effects only. The findings bear concrete implications for improving the selection, training, and work environment of solution salespeople.     

Overconfidently underthinking: narcissism negatively predicts cognitive reflection

Abstract

There exists a large body of work examining individual differences in the propensity to engage in reflective thinking processes. However, there is a distinct lack of empirical research examining the role of dispositional factors in these differences and understanding these associations could provide valuable insight into decision-making. Here, we examine whether individual differences in cognitive reflection are related to narcissism (excessive self-focused attention) and impulsiveness (trait-based lack of inhibitory control). Participants across three studies completed measures of narcissism, impulsiveness and cognitive reflection. Results indicate that grandiose and vulnerable narcissists differ in their performance on problem-solving tasks (i.e., Cognitive Reflection Test [CRT]) and preferences for intuitive thinking, as well as the degree to which they reflect on and understand their own thoughts and enjoy cognitively effortful activities. Additionally, though impulsiveness was significantly related to self-report measures of cognitive reflection (i.e., metacognitive reflection, metacognitive insight, and need for cognition), it showed no association with a behavioural measure of cognitive reflection (i.e., CRT scores). Our results suggest that certain individual differences in dispositional and personality characteristics may play important roles in the extent to which individuals engage in certain forms of reflective thinking.