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Educational Needs of Distribution Company Salespeople in Core Competencies for Convergence

The Journal of Distribution Science / The Journal of Distribution Science, (P)1738-3110; (E)2093-7717
2018, v.16 no.6, pp.77-84
https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15722/jds.16.6.201806.77
Kim, Eun-Joo
Seong, Myeong-Hee
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Abstract

Purpose - The aim of this study was to analyze the educational needs of distribution company salespeople in core competencies for convergence and their general perception of convergence education. Furthermore, this study provides basic data on core competencies for convergence needed by them. Research design, data, and methodology - A survey was conducted on 104 distribution company salespeople who worked near Seoul, Korea to analyze the perceptions of their educational needs in core competencies for convergence education, according to their socio-demographic characteristics. The socio-demographic characteristics were gender, age, workplace size, education background, work experience and business category. The questionnaire consisted of demographic factors (7 questions), general perception of convergence education (5 questions), perception of importance of core competency for distribution company salespeople (9 questions), and current perception of distribution company salespeople on core competency of convergence workers (9 questions). Park et al.(2014)'s categorization of convergence core competencies was used: Cognitive convergence (creative thinking, critical thinking and understanding of convergence knowledge), convergence performance (problem solving, communications, collaboration and application of convergence tools) and attitude toward convergence (empathy and responsibility). Data was collected through an independent sample of t-tests and a one-way analysis of variance and the Borich Needs Assessment Model was used to identify the educational needs of distribution company salespeople in the core competencies of convergence education. Results- The results show that the subjects recognized the need for convergence education to be high among the general perceptions. The perception scores for workers of different backgrounds only varied according to the size of the business. Moreover, the results of the educational needs analysis and the ranks of the required core competencies of convergence workers by the subjects were as follows: 1. convergence knowledge understanding competency, 2. creative thinking competency, 3. convergence tool application competency, 3. communications competency, 4. problem solving competency, 5. collaboration competency, 6. critical thinking competency, 7. empathy competency, 8. responsibility competency. Conclusions - This study highlights the necessity of developing university curriculum that can nurture the core competencies of conversion education reflecting distribution company salespeople's requests as well as cultivating qualified convergence workers required by distribution company workers.

keywords
Distribution Company, Salespeople, Convergence Workers, Core Competency, Educational Needs

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The Journal of Distribution Science