| Direct selling is a marketing approach in which the sales of products or services are directly provided to consumers, generally in their homes or the homes of others, away from fixed retail locations. New recruits are selected with no requirements concerning their qualifications and backgrounds, such as educational level, social status, or other characteristics. Direct sellers should be given adequate education and training to enable them to conduct their sales activities. The purpose of the study was to use Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to examine motivational factors influencing Amway Taiwan distributors' decisions to participate in continuing education programs and to identify future training needs.;A researcher-developed survey instrument was used to collect data from all distributors signing sales contracts directly with the Amway Corporation in Taiwan. A total of 408 survey packets were returned representing a response rate of 53.1%. A frequency analysis was utilized to provide demographic profiles of the survey participants based on gender, age, marital status, educational status, and years of experience in the direct-selling industry. Inferential statistics, including t tests, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs), Pearson Product Moment correlations, and multiple regression were performed to answer the study's research questions.;Following are the conclusions that emerged from the study: (1) physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization needs are all important factors motivating Amway distributors to participate in continuing education programs; (2) the higher the motivational level, the stronger the motivational effect in inspiring Amway distributors to participate in continuing education programs; (3) the respondents' age, educational status, and years of experience in the direct-selling industry are the demographic characteristics that most significantly influence their perceptions regarding the motivational factors to participate in continuing education programs; (4) there is a relationship between all five levels of needs and career success in Amway Taiwan; and (5) self-actualization is the most influential motivational level contributing to career success in Amway Taiwan. |
