Date of Award

8-1982

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Zigmund S. Kryszak

Second Advisor

Dr. Richard E. Munsterman

Third Advisor

Dr. UIdis Smidchens

Abstract

This descriptive study investigated the relationship between production service ratings and service performance ratings earned by the 60 group representatives assigned to its Midwest region by a large insurance company. Specifically, the study attempted to (a) collect data regarding the sales and service performance ratings earned by each member of the study group, (b) determine whether a relationship existed between the sales and service ratings for the total study group, and (c) determine whether a relationship existed between the sales and service ratings for those individuals within the study group to whom certain characteristics could be attributed.

In order to investigate the relationship between sales and service performance ratings, hypotheses were presented which dealt with the total study group of representatives and with the group segregated by certain characteristics. Those characteristics included (a) the population size of the area to which group representatives were assigned, (b) sex, (c) income levels, (d) promotability, and (e) whether or not the group representatives were assigned management responsibilities.

A major conclusion of the study was that there exists a direct relationship between sales and service performance ratings for group insurance representatives. It was further concluded that this direct relationship exists for group representatives segregated by each of the enumerated characteristics.

Because of the growth in the number and complexity of coverages offered by the group insurance industry, individual insurance companies have considered separating their group field forces into two units by assigning sales-only responsibilities to those who have demonstrated superior sales results and service-only responsibilities to the balance of their representatives. The results of this study indicate that doing so would appear to be ill-advised.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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