Understanding self-efficacy and performance of salespersons in Islamic banking

Purpose - This study aims to investigate the relationship between organization image, awareness effort, customer demandingness, self-efficacy and self-rated performance among salespersons of Islamic banking products in the UAE. It also explores the mediating role of awareness effort and self-efficacy, using a theoretical framework derived from social cognitive theory. Design/methodology/approach - Data are collected by surveying salespersons in a mixed bank (a conventional bank with an Islamic banking department) in the UAE. The researcher uses structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Findings - The research concludes that customer demandingness positively affects awareness effort, awareness effort positively affects self-efficacy, self-efficacy positively affects performance and image positively affects salespersons’ self-efficacy and performance. Furthermore, the study highlights the mediating role of awareness effort and self-efficacy in the model. Research limitations/implications - The sample consists of 217 salespersons working in the same bank, covering three cities in the UAE. Hence, the rest of the country is not included. Practical implications - The study shows the importance of awareness efforts in achieving better performance. It also demonstrates the importance of addressing customer requirements in the banking environment. Furthermore, it illuminates the role of organization image in enforcing salespersons’ self-efficacy and performance. Social implications - The paper sheds a light on salespersons’ personalities and the factors that reinforce their performance and self-efficacy. Originality/value - The research is an empirical study that addresses the relationship between performance, self-efficacy, image, awareness effort and customer demandingness in Islamic banking in the UAE.