【Lecture】School of Data Science and Management Engineering Academic Lecture No. 93: Evolutionary-shaped goal orientation in Homo sapiens: how life sciences contribute to a better understanding of salespeople as knowledge brokers
Date: 26th December, 2019
Time: 11:00 – 12:30 a.m.
Venue: Room 1004, Administration Building, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University.
【Speaker Introduction】：Life sciences uses the Latin name Homo sapiens to describe humans, an animal species. First, we discuss how “popular beliefs” about the brain have inhibited the progress of life science applications in the field of selling. Subsequently, we present the Tinbergen’s evolutionary perspective of life sciences and use “ultimate” and “proximate” explanations to understand the salesperson’s main goal of becoming a knowledge broker. First, an ultimate explanation describes how the Homo sapiens evolved to acquire a big brain through natural selection processes, which led to the emergence of multiple cultures. This evoked a runaway selection of genes affecting brain functioning called “cultural drive hypothesis.” Second, the proximate view explains how, for example, neural-endocrine mechanisms modulate knowledge brokering. We explore five hard-wired processes associated with a salesperson’s skill in knowledge brokering, applying factual insights obtained from neuroscience, endocrinology, and genetics. Finally, we outline different strategies that researchers who seek to make new contributions to the field can undertake in doing research on selling.
【Lecture Abstract】：Willem Verbeke is an emeritus professor at the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research interests lie in neuromarketing, sales and account management, emotions and epigenetics. His work has been published in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management.
