The Effects of E-Brochure Functions and Attitudes to E-Brochures on Self-Efficacy and Salespeople Job Satisfaction in Pharmaceutical Companies

Abstract

Today, companies are making efforts to improve the performance of workers by utilizing various IT-based mobile and internet devices. In pharmaceutical companies, salespeople are using the e-brochure to search for diverse expertise in real time. Through the e-brochure, pharmacists and doctors can be provided with the information they need, thereby increasing confidence in pharmaceuticals and salespeople. Salespeople can also use e-brochures to improve their work performance and to be more satisfied with their jobs. This study examines which functions of e-brochures satisfy salespeople and what attitudes to the e-brochures they need to have. This paper explains the effect of satisfaction and attitude to the e-brochures on job satisfaction through self-efficacy with statistical analysis. As a statistical result, the functions of e-brochures (professional knowledge, massive amount of data, easy searching, information updates, and the reflection of feedback) and attitudes to the e-brochures (importance, intention to use, belief in improvement, efficacy to use, and negative cognition) influence on self-efficacy of salespeople. Further, self-efficacy has mediating effects on the relationship between the functions of e-brochures / attitudes to e-brochures and job satisfaction. Exceptionally, the mediating effect of self-efficacy was not significant in relation to information updates / reflection of feedback and job satisfaction. These results will explain what functions should be focused for the future development of e-brochures. It will also suggest what attitudes the salespeople should have about e-brochures. Through these efforts, salespeople will be able to utilize new technology of e-brochures to satisfy their jobs and improve their performance.

1. Introduction

Recently, most Korean pharmaceutical companies usemobile-based technologies such as e-brochures. Thesemobile-based information systems or technologies usually increase a firm’s performance [1]. Hence, companies should utilize particular mobile-based technologies like e-brochures for organizational performance and management [2]. Ane-brochure contains complex information on a variety of drugs and has the capacity to update new and changing information in real time. The e-brochure is a technology that can becontinuously improved by reflecting opinions of not only workers, but also pharmacists and doctors. Pharmacists and doctors can get information quickly and accurately throughe-brochures. Thus, they can be more confident and satisfied with salespeople, drugs, and pharmaceutical companies. In addition, when salespeople use e-brochures to satisfypharmacists and doctors, their work performance will also improve.

This study focuses on the importance of the e-brochureand suggests ways to develop it.

First, the e-brochure involves a variety of functions. Thereare more important or necessary functions for salespeople. Having these specific functions of the e-brochure will improves alesperson self-efficacy and job satisfaction [3], [4]. Further, understanding the important functions for salespeople will help to understand the direction of improvement of e-brochures.

Second, there are certain attitudes of workers to new technologies [5]. Having specific attitudes to the e-brochures will affect worker behavior. For example, workers with a morepositive attitude toward the e-brochure will use this technology more to achieve high performance. Thus, workers who havespecific attitudes to the e-brochure will be able to utilize thistechnology to have higher self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Knowing the specific attitudes that influence self-efficacy and job satisfaction will allow the company to improveperformance by facilitating salespeople to take on theseattitudes.

It is important to understand what functions are required for e-brochures and to further develop them so that workershave a positive attitude to this technology. Through theseefforts, e-brochures will evolve to perform better, and salespeople will be better equipped to use the technology. Therefore, salespeople's performance will also improve. Doctors and pharmacists will also be more confident and satisfied with salespeople utilizing this technology. These results will lead to the improvement of pharmaceutical companies ' information systems and their performance, and also improve corporate performance in sales, corporate image, trust in organization and the like.

2. Literature Review

2.1 E-brochure

E-brochures are responsible for the brochure function of the product, giving accurate information such as articleservices and insurance reviews to the customer and improving the salesperson's knowledge of the product.

E-brochures feature information such as product categories, core item information, latest updated item information lists, product displays, product descriptions, clinical data, advertising, and insurance information.

Because pharmacists and doctors need to take care of their patients, they cannot spend a lot of time searching and studyinginformation about drugs. Salespeople can provide moreaccurate and up-to-date information via e-brochures.

2.2 Functions and Self-efficacy

This study describes five functions of e-brochures. Thee-brochure is a tool for sales workers to distribute informationabout drugs. Thus, it has basic advantageous functions suchas professional information about drugs, a massive amount of information, an ease of information retrieval, quick updates and feedback from users. If workers are satisfied with the various functions of the e-brochure, they will have confidence that they can improve their work performance (self-efficacy).

2.2.1 Functions of the e-brochure

First, professional knowledge refers to the degree to which the e-brochure has expertise information that a doctor orpharmacist needs. Doctors and pharmacists may want morespecialized knowledge, but salespeople may not have the expertise on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to find morespecialized and accurate knowledge and provide it topharmacists and doctors.

Second, the amount of information that doctors and pharmacists need may be a massive amount of data. Onesalesperson faces a variety of doctors and pharmacists. In addition, they will be facing even more patients. Therefore, pharmacists, doctors, and patients may want more information than a salesperson has prepared or available. A vast amount of information will help salespeople answer various questions and unexpected problems.

Third, easy searching means that workers can search forinformation easily and quickly. Doctors and pharmacists d onot meet only one salesperson. They meet a number of salespeople from various pharmaceutical companies and inturn look after even more patients. Hence, salespeople need to provide information faster to doctors and pharmacists. Accurate information, along with rapidly supported information, will enhance the satisfaction of physicians and pharmacists.

Fourth, information updates means the degree to which ne winformation and changes are updated quickly. E-brochuresshould have new information in a variety of rapidly changingenvironments, such as new test results for pharmaceuticals, changes in insurance calculation methods, and new regulations. Salespeople, doctors, and pharmacists will be satisfied with the belief that the e-brochure has the latest information.

Fifth, reflection of feedback refers to the degree of reflection of opinions, complaints, and suggestions of users (workers). It is necessary to compensate for the problemsperceived by salespeople using e-brochures. In addition, e-brochures should be developed to be more worker-friendly. E-brochures that reflect the opinions of salespeople willimprove both their satisfaction and performance.

2.2.2 Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy is the belief that performance can be achieved in a given situation and improves motivation [3]. Self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief and confidence in their ability or capacity to succeed in tasks. Self-efficacy can be increased when an individual successfully achieves goals [6]. Those who have high self-efficacy are more likely to trust that they cansuccessfully complete what they are doing, and will make agreater effort and actively seek solutions when faced with challenges or facing difficult problems. Conversely, whenself-efficacy is low, this effort is absent and difficult situations are considered negative. People with low levels of self-efficacy of ten seem helpless and have a poor sense of accomplishment. Therefore, self-efficacy is an important factor in explaining differences in motivation, attitudes, learning and the performance of tasks among individuals [7]. Self-efficacy refers to people's belief in their abilities to produce a specificlevel of performance. These beliefs create various effects oncognitive, emotional, motivational and selection processes [8]. Therefore, self-efficacy influences the behavior and performance of workers [9]. Workers who have greaterself-efficacy are more likely to accept new challenges. In addition, an effective perspective promotes deepercommitment and creativity to work. Also, these variables areable to increase employees' efforts to overcome frustration and failure. Therefore, self-efficacy increases performancelevels and reduces negative factors such as stress and depression [8], [10].

2.2.3 Functions of the e-brochure and Self-efficacy

The various functions of e-brochures and salespeople ’s& rsquo;satisfaction to it will enhance their self-efficacy.

First, if a salesperson believes that the knowledge orinformation in e-brochures is correct, workers will be able to have confidence in the information that he or she providesto doctors and pharmacists. Hence, they will be more confidentabout their work and they will be able to improve self-efficacy [3], [6].

Second, a massive amount of data can enhance the ability of salespeople to solve unexpected problems. If workersexperience success in solving their problems throughe-brochures, they will increase the efficacy of their work [6], [8].

Third, easy searching helps salespeople find information quickly and easily. Workers who have the experience of being able to solve their tasks faster will have a positive expectation of their ability to complete their work [3], [6], [8]. Therefore, workers will be able to have self-efficacy in their work performance being improved.

Fourth, information updates is related to the belief thate-brochures have the latest information. Hence, salespeoplehave the assurance that the information they can providethrough the e-brochure is accurate and current. The confidence that the information supports their work will have a direct bearing on their job performance. Therefore, workers who have accurate information will have higher efficacy in their work.

Fifth, the reflection of feedback is accompanied by inconvenience or opinion felt directly by salespersons. Salespeople will be able to improve their e-brochures in the direction they want. When workers have the skills they need, their confidence in work will rise [3], [6], [8]. Therefore, a work system that reflects workers' opinions will improve both satisfaction and self-efficacy.

Based on the relationship between these five functions and self-efficacy, the following hypotheses were set.

h1 The functions of the e-brochures will increaseself-efficacy

h1.1 Professional knowledge will increase self-efficacy

h1.2 Massive amount of data will increase self-efficacy

h1.3 Easy searching will increase self-efficacy

h1.4 Information updates will increase self-efficacy

h1.5 The reflection of feedback will increase self-efficacy

2.3 Attitudes and Self-efficacy

2.3.1 Attitudes toward the e-brochure

Workers can have five certain crucial attitudes for new technologies such as big data, AI, and IoT related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution These five attitudes are importance, intention to use, belief in improvement, efficacy to use, and negative cognition [5].

First, importance is the degree to which workers think that the e-brochure is important to their work. If workers believethe e-brochures are important to their work, they will utilize it for work.

Second, even if a company recommends e-brochures toworkers, it is unlikely that all workers would prefer to useit. The intention to use means an employee's attitude toward making more use of the e-brochure in their work.

Third, belief in improvement is the belief that thee-brochure will help improve salespeople's work and performance. Workers who believe that the e-brochure ishelpful to them will use this technology to improve their performance.

Fourth, as the e-brochure has different preferences, the ability to utilize the e-brochure will vary from employee to employee. Efficacy to use means the belief in one's ability to work better than the e-brochure in one's work.

Fifth, not everyone will always have a positive attitudetoward new technology. Just as AI threatens a temporary job, the e-brochure can be perceived as negative for certain workers. Negative cognition refers to an employee's attitudethat the e-brochure may not be helpful or may even beinterfering with their work.

2.3.2 Attitudes toward the e-brochure and self-efficacy

Performance-related factors such as efficacy may increase if workers have certain attitudes to technologies and factors such as big data, AI, IoT, and cloud computing [5]. Thus, specific attitudes toward the e-brochure will also improveself-efficacy.

First, importance means the degree to which workersconsider the e-brochure valuable to own work. Salespeople will be able to use e-brochures as much as they are valuable to them, which will improve their performance. Experience in improving work performance directly increases self-efficacy [3, 6]. In addition, salespeople who believe that the e-brochure is helpful to their work will become more aware of the importance of the e-brochure. Therefore, the e-brochure will have a positive effect on the performance of the salespersonand furthermore, on self-efficacy.

Second, intention to use is the willingness of salespeopleto use the e-brochure more. If the e-brochure does not help their business, workers will not be willing to use them. On the other hand, workers who believe that the e-brochure ishelpful to their work have the intention to use it. Thus, intention to use will have a positive relationship with self-efficacy, as the willingness to use the e-brochure implies that this technology is related to worker performance.

Third, belief in improvement means that the e-brochuredirectly enhances the work performance. Therefore, as alesperson who believes that the e-brochure has improved his or her work performance will become self-confident and will increase in self-efficacy.

Fourth, efficacy to use is the belief in one's ability to usethe e-brochure well. A high efficacy to use presupposes that people have adequate abilities to use the product. It also meansthat people have enough training or experience to use thee-brochure. Hence, a salesperson with a high efficacy to use would have use the e-brochure in his or her work, and it is likely that the worker also experiences performance improvements. Therefore, efficacy to use will have a positiverelationship with self-efficacy.

Fifth, negative cognition means workers' perception that the e-brochure is not helpful to their work. A company orteam suggests that salespeople use the e-brochure. Howevera salesperson who believes the e-brochure does not help them will not believe that this technology can improve own performance. Thus, the negative perception of the e-brochure will result in an inhibition of job performance and a decrease in self-efficacy. Based on these relationships, the following hypotheses were established:

h2 Attitudes to the e-brochures will increase (decrease) self-efficacy

h2.1 Importance will increase self-efficacy

h2.2 Intention to use will increase self-efficacy

h2.3 Belief in improvement will increase self-efficacy

h2.4 Efficacy to use will increase self-efficacy

h2.5 Negative cognition will decrease self-efficacy

 

2.4 Self-efficacy and Job Satisfaction

2.4.1 Job satisfaction

Job satisfaction refers to the form of attitude that a member has about a job. Job satisfaction is a state of pleasantness orgood emotions obtained by an individual evaluating his or her job or experience gained through work [4]. Job satisfaction is defined as the emotional reaction resulting from the comparison between the expected and actual outcomes of job performance [11].

Although the definition of job satisfaction is somewhat different according to the researcher, it can be said that jobsatisfaction means the affective and emotional preference of how much people like their job as one of their attitudes toward their own job.

2.4.2 Self-efficacy and job satisfaction

Workers experiencing success have a high sense of efficacy in their work. [3], [6], [7]. Having the belief that people can better accomplish their work will improve their performance, and also and make them more satisfied with their job [12].

Self-efficacy affects actual success and this successimproves satisfaction with the job [13]. Likewise, workers with self-efficacy can overcome problems when they facedifficulties or problems in their work [14]. Therefore, workers with high self-efficacy are more likely to value their work[12].

As mentioned earlier, the satisfaction of salespeople withregard to the e-brochure functioning and specific attitudestoward the e-brochure will enhance self-efficacy. Workers with high self-efficacy will be more satisfied with their jobs. Therefore, the satisfaction of salespeople with regard to the functionality of e-brochures and specific attitudes toward them will enhance job satisfaction through self-efficacy. Based on these relationships, hypotheses about the immediate effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between the satisfaction of salespeople about e-brochure functions and specific attitudestoward e-brochures and job satisfaction were set as follows.

h3 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between functions of e-brochure and job satisfaction

h3.1 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between professional knowledge and job satisfaction

h3.2 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between amassive amount of data and job satisfaction

h3.3 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between easysearching and job satisfaction

h3.4 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweeninformation updates and job satisfaction

h3.5 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between reflection of feedback and job satisfaction

h4 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweenattitudes e-brochures and job satisfaction

h4.1 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweenimportance and job satisfaction

h4.2 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweenintention to use and job satisfaction

h4.3 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation between beliefin improvement and job satisfaction

h4.4 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweenefficacy to use and job satisfaction

h4.5 Self-efficacy will mediate the relation betweennegative cognition and job satisfaction

 

(그림 1) 연구모형

(Figure 1) Research model

3. Participants and Measurement

Data was collected from 150 salespeople frompharmaceutical companies in Korea. Demographic information on these 150 workers is as follows: In terms of gender, there were 137 males (91.3%) and 13 females (8.7%). In terms of their types of organizations, 87 worked for pharmacies (58%), and 63 worked for hospitals (42%). In terms of age, 26 were in their twenties (17.3%), 81 were in their thirties (54%), 42 were in their forties, and 1 was fifty or older (.7%). In terms of academic background, 139 had bachelor degrees (92.7%), and 11 had masters degrees (7.3%). In regards to their length of employment, 9 had worked for less than 1 year (6%), 65 had worked 1-5 years (43.3%), 30 had worked 5-10 years (20%), and 46 had worked longer than 10 years (30.7%).

In addition, all items were measured on a Likert 7-points cale. First, the five functions of the e-brochure were eachmeasured by 3 items. (See appendix).

Second, the five attitudes to the e-brochures were eachmeasured by 3 items [5]. For example, importance included &ld quo;I believe e-brochures are valuable to me”, and &ld quo; E-brochuresplay an important role in my work”. Intention to use included &ld quo;I am willing to use e-brochures”, and “I will use e-brochures for my work”. Belief in improvement involved “I thinke-brochures are helpful for my job”, “E-brochures will help me improve my performance”. Efficacy to use involved &ld quo;Ihave an ability to use e-brochures”, and “I can use e-brochures well in my work”. Negative cognition included “I do not thinke-brochures helps me”, “E-brochures will have a negative impact on my work and job”.

Third, self-efficacy was measured by 4 items, including, &ld quo;I am confident that I can successfully perform any tasks assigned to me on my current job”, and “I am not as well prepared as I could be to meet all the demands (r)” [15].

Fourth, job satisfaction was measured by 7 items & rsquo;including, “I receive recognition for a job well done”, and &ld quo;I feel good about my job” [16].

4. Analysis

For statistical analysis, this study used a confirmatory factoranalysis (CFA) for validity, Cronbach's α for reliability and correlation, and structural equation modeling for mediating effect. Table 1 shows the results of the CFA. The results indicate the measurements of this study have significant validity.

(표 1) 확인적 요인분석 결과

(Table 1) Results of CFA

Table 2 indicates the results of reliability and descriptivestatics. All variables has greater than 0.8 Cronbach's α values.  

(표 2) 신뢰도와 기술통계

(Table 2) Reliability and descriptive statistics

Table 3 indicates the results of the correlation analysis. Information updates and reflection of feedback have nosignificant relationship with self-efficacy, and other factors have significant relationships with each other. Among these factors, except negative cognition, all variables have a positiverelationship with each other.

(표 3) 상관관계 분석

(Table 3) Correlation analysis

Table 4 indicates the results of the SEM analysis formediating effects. As shown in the correlation analysis, all the independent variables (attitudes and functions) have asignificant effect on self-efficacy except information updates and reflection of feedback. Thus, h1.1 (hypothesis 11), h1.2 and h1.3 were accepted, but h1.4 and h1.5 were not accepted. Also h2 (and all five sub-hypothesis) was accepted. In addition, Table 5 shows whether the hypothesis 3 and hypothesis 4 have been verified with the Sobel test result, and proves a partial mediating effect and a perfect mediating effect.

(표 4) 구조방정식을 통한 매개효과 분석 결과

(Table 4) The result of mediating effect analysis

(표 5) 소벨 테스트와 가설 검증 결과

(Table 5) Sobel test and hypothesis verification result

5. Conclusion

5.1 Conclusion and Implications

Similar to previous studies, self-efficacy has a direct effecton job satisfaction. All of the attitudes and functions, whichare the main variables of the study, were found to have asignificant effect on job satisfaction. Therefore, it has been proven that these key variables in this research are valuable. The effects of these variables on job satisfaction through self-efficacy are as follows:

First, professional knowledge improves job satisfaction through self-efficacy rather than directly affecting jobsatisfaction. Professional information does not satisfy the jobitself, but it plays a major role in enhancing the efficacy of work.

Second, a massive amount of data and easy searching affect both job satisfaction and self-efficacy, and self-efficacy has a partial mediating effect. Thus, if the e-brochure has enoughinformation and is possible to be searched easily, salespeople will have a high sense of efficacy and be more satisfied with their job.

Third, the e-brochure information updates and reflection of feedback have no significant correlation with self-efficacy, and they only improve job satisfaction. Reflection of feedback reflects salespeople’s opinions, which are not necessarily job-related. Therefore, workers do not lack confidence incompleting the task because their complaints are reflected. They can only be seen as affected by their own jobs. In addition, information updates will need to be discussed indepth in the future. Information updates can only increase trustin e-brochures, or it can be taken for granted by workers. Fromanother point of view, the accuracy of new information and the ease of searching for new information may be prerequisites. Therefore, although information updates are related to jobsatisfaction, theoretical research should be conducted on thereason why it is not related to self-efficacy.

Next, in terms of attitudes toward e-brochures, self-efficacy has a partial mediating effect between the independent variables (belief in improvement and efficacy to use) and jobsatisfaction. This result implies that importance, intention touse, belief in improvement and efficacy to use affects both job satisfaction and self-efficacy. Therefore, salespeopleshould be aware of the importance of the e-brochure and believe that using it well can improve their performance. Also, if people increase confidence by working hard to utilize thee-brochure, this will result in higher self-efficacy and jobsatisfaction.

Furthermore, negative cognition of e-brochures does notreduce job satisfaction but decrease self-efficacy. Workers ' satisfaction is not diminished by the fact that e-brochures arenot helpful to them. However, salespeople are less confidentabout job performance because they perceive negatively what they should use in their work.

The results of this study suggest the direction of improvement for e-brochures and the attitude needed to improve their performance.

First, e-brochures should have more specialized information and functions. Professional information will increase the efficacy and job satisfaction of the salesperson and willincrease trust in the pharmaceutical company and in thesalesperson that doctors and pharmacists perceive. Therefore, pharmaceutical companies should bring in more diverse experts to ensure e-brochures have professional information, and educate salespeople to use professional knowledge.

Second, a sufficient amount of information improves the efficacy and satisfaction of the salesperson. With the advancement of technology today, machines are getting smaller and their capacity is getting larger. Therefore, e-brochures will have to create various methods to utilize new technology such as big data.

Third, the ease of information retrieval improvesself-efficacy and job satisfaction as well as satisfaction of use. It is necessary to develop more user-oriented interfaces andimprove the ease of searching by applying faster computertechnology.

Fourth, although information updates does not improve efficacy, it increases job satisfaction, Hence, the company stillneeds to consider it. E-brochures will need to provideonline-based real-time services to quickly provide ne winformation.

Fifth, the reflection of user opinions is a factor that companies should not ignore, like information updates. Salesstaff are not machines, but people who enhance performance through e-brochures. Therefore, it is necessary to reactsensitively to user opinions or complaints to improve work performance using e-brochures.

Finally, salespeople should have positive attitudes towarde-brochures. First of all, workers should have the belief thate-brochures are important and that they can improve their performance using this technology. Accepting new technologies and using them will lead to more progressiveresults. Thus, with the willingness to use e-brochures, people will be confident that they can make better use of thistechnology. Companies should also encourage their employeesto have more positive attitudes toward e-brochures througheducation.

5.2 Limitations and Potential Areas of Future Study

The limitations of the research and suggestions for future research are as follows:

First, the attitudes and functions set in this paper will not be all about e-brochures. Thus, more diverse attitudes and new functions should be studied. In this regard, other than the improvements suggested in the research, other factors should also be considered. For example, when members share avariety of new information, group performance can beenhanced [17]. If the e-brochure enables mobile-based communication, information exchange among salespeople can be facilitated [18]. In addition, companies and leaders could also enable online leadership or communication. This influence can motivate members and improve performance [19]. Therefore, we should also consider adding and improving other features, such as online usage, communication, and so on.

Second, it is necessary to compare the differences betweensalespeople who correspond with pharmacies, and those whocorrespond with hospitals, although this paper does not distinguish between them. The information the pharmacist and the doctor want can be different. Hence, we need to study what is more necessary for workers facing different situations.

Third, the relevance of variables other than self-efficacy and job satisfaction, which are the parameters used in this study, should be clarified. For example, particular attitudesor functions can improve work engagement and creativity. Salespeople can be satisfied with the e-brochures in ane-business environment and satisfied with the job (intrinsicand extrinsic motivation). With this new technology, workers will be able to gain more creativity [20].

Finally, we need to pay attention to the negative impactof e-brochures. Technologies that can be used in real time have various disadvantages. For instance, being able to exchange information or communicate in real time can causestress. Workers can assume that they are being monitored, and their supervisor can issue work orders during off-hours [21]. Therefore, studies on the disadvantages of various technologiesshould be considered.