The moderating role of industrial experience in the job satisfaction, intention to leave relationship: an empirical study among salesmen in India

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to explore the moderating role of industrial experience in the relationship between different facets of a sales person's satisfaction with the job and his/her intention to quit the job.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the data collected from sales persons from a pharmaceutical company in India. Dimensions of job satisfaction have been specifically developed for this study due to the cultural specificity of the context. The job satisfaction scale was developed through a process of qualitative research.FindingsThe paper finds that industry experience moderates the job satisfaction, disinclination to quit relationship for most of the job satisfaction dimensions. Specifically it is seen than Industry experience has a moderating effect when the effect of a salesperson's satisfaction with the organizational HR policies, supervisor satisfaction, compensation policies and career development and disinclination to quit, are considered.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the existing literature by considering the moderating effect of Industry experience, a variable hitherto not considered in sales management literature. This extends knowledge on the factors that affect a sales person's disinclination to quit – an extremely important factor in sales force managementOriginality/valueWhile this paper extends the already existing knowledge about the moderating variables that affect the relationship between job satisfaction and intention to quit, its original contribution is in terms of the setting – India, as well as the identification of a moderating variable‐industry experience.