Salesperson Performance and Managerially Controllable Factors: An Investigation of Individual and Work Group Effects

Abstract

Although prior studies in psychology, management, and marketing have explored the association between salesperson performance and managerially controllable factors, an assumption of these investigations is that the relationship between performance and such antecedents is applicable to salespersons viewed only as individuals without regard for their work group. In the present study, relationships between variables from three categories of managerially controllable factors (reported by salespersons) and salesperson performance (assessed by supervisors) were investigated in terms of individuals and work groups using Within and Between Analysis procedures. Results from two samples suggest that though several relationships between managerially controllable factors and salesperson performance are individually based, some relationships are relevantfor the work group as a whole. Implications of the results for management practice are discussed.