Title: In- or outsourcing of the sales force? What is better? The case of the construction sector

Authors: Oronzo Trio

Addresses: Department of Management, Economics, Mathematics and Statistic, University of Salento, Via per Monteroni, Complesso Ecotekne, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Abstract: The paper aims to understand and analyse the determinants of the in/outsourcing processes in the construction sector and, especially, in the residential market. To this end, a qualitative research on a sample of small firms has been carried out through 15 interviews. The main objectives of the research are: 1) studying the relationships between construction firms and real estate agents; 2) analysing the main factors which push the construction firms to manage directly the sales of their products or otherwise to externalise that function. The findings reveal in the sample a prevalent attitude to in source the selling function in order to have a direct relationship with the customers and to suggest the most suitable residential product to them.

Keywords: insourcing; outsourcing; trade-industry relationship; construction industry; residential products; real estate agents; sales force; building industry; real estate agents.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSB.2014.067507

International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, 2014 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.193 - 207

Received: 28 Mar 2014
Accepted: 06 Nov 2014
Published online: 27 Feb 2015 *

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