Beach Vendors: A Qualitative Investigation of Salespeople's Interpersonal Skills and Selling Abilities

The use of qualitative research in the field of management is highly important because it allows for a deeper understanding of complex phenomena and provides valuable insights that quantitative research alone cannot capture. This study, conducted through the lens of Critical Realism, employed an inductive research approach, a grounded theory research strategy, and observation as a research tool to examine the behavior and dynamics of a group of beach vendors in Greece over a span of two years. Observation was utilized as a research tool to gather rich and detailed data about the vendors’ activities, interactions, and strategies. In this study, the researchers identified four distinct types of beach vendors: breeze, lasso, midge, and dart. These categories were developed based on the observed behaviours, strategies, and characteristics of the vendors. This understanding of vendors’ product offerings provides valuable insights for management practitioners and policymakers in developing strategies to support salesforce.