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Selected Works

Clifford J Shultz

2015

Marketing

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Business

Machiavellianism And Sales Performance, Clifford J. Shultz May 2015

Machiavellianism And Sales Performance, Clifford J. Shultz

Clifford J Shultz

The relationship between Machiavellianism and sales performance is emotionally charged. Few comments evoke more passionate responses from sales professionals and scholars of personal selling and sales management than the mere hint that selling might be Machiavellian. Yet while frequently debated, the topic is generally misunderstood. This article is intended to clarify the misunderstanding surrounding this relationship by explaining the concept of Machiavellianism, and by examining empirical data on Machiavellianism and sales performance. Recent findings suggest the success or failure of Machiavellian tactics used during personal selling appears to be related to the organisational structure of the firm for which sales …


The Paradoxical Relationship Between Marketing And Vulnerability, Clifford J. Shultz, Morris B. Holbrook May 2015

The Paradoxical Relationship Between Marketing And Vulnerability, Clifford J. Shultz, Morris B. Holbrook

Clifford J Shultz

Marketing both reduces and contributes to consumer vulnerability. In this essay, the authors explore this paradoxical relationship. Complexities and nuances captured in existing definitions are revisited. The authors then share a more expansive perspective; they offer a new typology with hopes of drawing attention to multifaceted and conflicting challenges so as to stimulate fresh thinking. Several points are raised so that policy makers and marketers might be inspired to invoke systemic solutions that increase the security and well-being of consumers who are subject to various vulnerabilities.