The impact of managerial innovation skills on neuromarketing implementation in the pharmaceutical sector

Purpose This study aims to determine the impact of managerial innovation skills on the adoption and application of neuromarketing techniques by sales representatives in pharmaceutical companies. Design/methodology/approach A validated survey instrument collected data from 308 sales representatives within pharmaceutical firms in Saudi Arabia. The study evaluated how specific managerial innovation skills (e.g. perception of problems, managerial innovation, effective communication and perseverance) influence neuromarketing implementation, operationally defined in this study as the extent to which sales representatives actively engage with and use neuromarketing principles and tools in their professional activities. Findings The findings revealed statistically significant positive correlations between key managerial innovation skills, particularly effective communication and perseverance, and the implementation of neuromarketing techniques. However, “perception of problems” did not show a direct significant impact on neuromarketing adoption in this context. Originality/value This study provides distinctly novel insights by empirically linking specific managerial innovation skills to the implementation phase of neuromarketing within Saudi Arabia’s pharmaceutical sector, a context and a relationship that remain relatively underexplored in existing literature. Its focus on identifying crucial managerial competencies that can foster the integration of neuromarketing in this specific regional and industry setting offers unique value and practical implications for training and development, even as it acknowledges that direct outcome measurement presents an avenue for future research.