Sales Force Training at Mervyn's INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this research is to examine the sales force training and development program at Mervyn's Department Stores, and to develop recommended changes to the program to correct any deficiencies revealed through the examination. The discussion following this introduction assesses the existing situation at the firm, and is followed by a presentation of therecommended changes.

ASSESSMENT OF THE SALES FORCE TRAINING AND

The assessment of the sales force training and development program at Mervyn's Department Stores is presented in two parts. In the first part, the program is described. The second part considers two questions related to the program: (1) what the program is attempting to do; and (2) what it is failing to accomplish.

Mervyn's was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1949 (Mervyn's Department Stores, 1988b). Over the subsequent 20 years, the company expanded, by opening several new stores, and, in 1971, the company was reorganized as a publiclytraded corporation (Mervyn's Department Stores, 1988b). It was in the

1 2mid1970s, that the company expanded into Southern California, and Nevada.

Mervyn's was acquired by, and became a whollyowned subsidiary of the DaytonHudson Corporation in 1978 (Mervyn's Department Stores, 1988b). In addition to Mervyn's, Dayton Hudson owns and operates Target Stores, Lechmere Electronics Stores, Branden's Home Fashion Store

tively. 7By contrast, however, a satisfactory status for the factors would not motivate the individual to exceptional levels of performance. Herzberg's motivational factors included such things as opportunities to achieve, opportunities to gain responsibility, and so forth, as motivational factors in the organizational life of an individual, the absence of which would not result in any disincentive to perform. A satisfactory status for these factors would motivate an individual to seek exceptional levels of performance. Maslow recognized the significance of lower order needs as motivators. He contended, however, that, in modern societies, these needs were generally met. Thus, it was his contention that other means had to be employed to motivate individualswithin organizational structures. Specifically, factors had to be introduced which would enhance an individual's opportunity to attain selfactualization. Mervyn's has a number of programs designed to enable its leaders to motivate the sales force. First, the company actively seeks the opinions and ideas of its sales persons (Mervyn's Department Stores, 1988b). Second, the company maintains an official open door policy, which goes far beyond such policies fo

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