Purpose -Customer value orientation, brand value and business ethics are critical variables to developing long-term relationships with customers and achieve sustainable sales growth over time. Th is research shows how the degree of orientation to customer value by the sales forces, brand value and business ethical standards could signifi cantly infl uence organizational performance.Design/methodology/approach -The study contributes to an explanatory model through a structural equation model (SEM) and empirical evidence of research applied to 327 executives -occupying medium and high positions in several companies in Chile -who manage their business globally.Findings -Th e results support the hypothesis that customer value orientation, brand value and business ethics infl uence organizational performance.Originality/value -Th is research shows how the degree of orientation to customer value by the sales forces, brand value and business ethical standards could signifi cantly infl uence organizational performance in a country like Chile.

Waste generation is a critical factor in global environmental degradation, where SMEs have been historically relevant yet underestimated. This study covers the issue of the disconnection between the normative and SMEs reality. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the relationship between waste management norms and their application in Chilean SMEs. For context, Chile is the nation that generates the most amount of waste per capita in the region. Nevertheless, the country also has one of the most rigorous waste frameworks in the region, by means of the Extended Responsibility Producer (ERP) law, which has been gradually implemented since 2016. Data for the study were collected through in-depth interviews with 25 SMEs. The results show the practical limitations of SMEs in complying with the waste law, the lack of traceability in the waste management system, and the need for economic support and technical assistance to improve the use and management of sustainable raw materials. Therefore, this study contributes to the limited knowledge of how SMEs implement waste management norms and their importance in diminishing waste generation and promoting waste hierarchy.

This chapter discusses the importance of customer value orientation to achieve good results from the sales team. The text analyzes how the management of several variables in human resources is fundamental towards good performance of the sales force. Their behavior and attitude is essential in helping companies develop longterm profitable relationships with customers. Hence, by assessing employee perceptions on incentive policies, and the training they have received, positive impacts on job satisfaction and customer orientation can be found. The career stage of the sales force has a relevant effect on management decisions as the life cycle influences the expectations of the sales force, the type of training, the incentive policies, and the level of commitment to the organization. In order to achieve good performance, it is essential to consider the dynamic and changing context where the omnichannel variable has a high presence in the reality of the sales area. For this reason, this chapter presents a model that can contribute to the empowerment of the sales force.

Environmental Sustainability (ES) is a growing concern for society’s development while identifying companies’ need to define sustainability-based strategies. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have an essential role; generating more than 60% of employment in Europe and Latin America. Numerous research exists regarding large companies’ situation on environmental topics, yet little exists on SMEs at the practical and theoretical levels. Thus, determining the variables that affect the application of ES is very relevant. This study analyzes in-depth ES factors and drivers from the SMEs’ perspective, exploring the variables influencing their implementation in these companies. The methodology employed is in-depth interviews, applied to a sample of 17 SMEs in Spain and 25 SMEs in Chile. The main findings suggest that Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Customer Orientation (CO), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) influence ES adoption in both countries, showing similarities in the driving reasons behind them, but with certain differences in their implementation (affected by institutional context influences). Furthermore, the level of knowledge affects decision-making related to the development of high-level environmental practices.

Purpose Salesperson’s actions are critical in helping the firm develop customer value orientation and long-term relationship with profitable customers to achieve sustainable sales growth and profitability over time. The purpose of this paper is to examine the salespeople and service executives’ perceptions about the relevance of some human resource management variables and employees’ attitudes as key factors to develop a company’s customer value orientation. The authors tested whether the perceptions of role ambiguity, incentives policy and provided training (PT) had an impact on job involvement (JI), job satisfaction (JS), and consequently, on customer value orientation. Design/methodology/approach Research design was nested with data from 327 executives from medium and upper positions in Chilean companies. Findings The results show that while the perception of role ambiguity had an indirect negative impact on customer value orientation through JI, perception of PT level had a direct impact over and above the other variables. Research limitations/implications JS and JI are attitudinal variables, which companies try to encourage in their employees through different human resources, practices. Incentives and training are ways to develop favorable employees’ attitudes and improve their customer value orientation. With the research, companies could invest their resources in better and more effective practices to generate favorable attitudes toward customer value orientation. Originality/value Through structural equation modeling, the model shows the relevance in the perception of sales executives about the relationship of employees’ JI and customer value orientation. This commands to open the view of the customer value orientation management to include other attitudinal variables as JI.