Socially responsible behaviour of sales staff: Evidence from Western Balkans supermarkets

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse and define the nature of indicators regarding socially responsible behaviour of sales staff in supermarkets in the region of the Western Balkans. Data in the research is collected electronically through a questionnaire, on a sample of977 consumers in the largest supermarkets on the Western Balkans market. Chi-square test, P value test and contingency (C) coefficient were used to test the hypotheses and interpret results. The findings showed that differences between the indicators of social responsibility are not statistically significant, depending on the retailers where products are sold. Indicators show a statistically significant dependence of the countries, observed at the level of the region of Western Balkan countries that are members of the EU and transition countries outside the EU. Analysis of indicators of socially responsible behaviour of sales staff is significant in practice: a) it can assist the management of trading companies in defining and creating a socially responsible workplace and a seller who will meet consumers’ needs and desires in a socially responsible manner; b) it provides the management of supermarkets from transition countries the insight into indicators that should be developed and strengthened in order to be competitive in the retail sector of the developed EU countries. Guidelines for future research are provided in the paper.