Salesperson Deviance Research Articles

Incorporating a Counterproductive Work Behavior Perspective into the Salesperson Deviance Literature: Intentionally Harmful Acts and Motivations for Sales Deviance

Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWBs) are based on the harm, or intended harm, they cause to organizations and or stakeholders (Spector and Fox 2005), while sales deviance is based on the violation of organizational norms (Robinson and Bennet 1995). Utilizing the definitional difference, this article explores a gap in the sales deviance literature that allows for potentially unidentified intentionally harmful behaviors that do not violate organizational norms, to exist. In addition, we propose strategic motivations for such behavior. Results suggest that motivations include long-term attitudes toward CWBs, moral obligation, consensus beliefs, productive equity, self-image congruence, and impression management.

Examining the impact of job embeddedness on salesperson deviance: The moderating role of job satisfaction

This study investigates the dysfunctional outcomes of salesperson job embeddedness as moderated by job satisfaction. Our findings suggest that among salespeople with low job satisfaction, organizational job embeddedness is positively linked with organizational deviance, interpersonal deviance, and customer-directed deviance. However, among salespeople with high job satisfaction, job embeddedness is negatively linked with organizational deviance and not significantly linked with either interpersonal or customer-directed deviance. The managerial implications of this study suggest that sales managers should be proactive in mitigating salesperson deviance behaviors through a variety of methods that may enhance salesperson satisfaction, particularly among salespeople who are embedded. Such managerial methods may include the following: 1) more assertive communication of acceptable norms with salespeople, 2) proper mentoring, 3) developing coordinated monitor and control systems, and 4) setting appropriate expectations for new hire salespeople by providing realistic job previews.

EXAMINATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF JOB SATISFACTION ON SALESPERSON DEVIANCE: THE MODERATING ROLE OF CUSTOMER ORIENTATION

Salesperson deviance represents a significant cost to organizations throughout the world. This paper addresses a gap in the literature by examining all three dimensions of salesperson deviance (i.e., organizational deviance, interpersonal deviance and customer-directed deviance) and the moderating role of customer orientation. More specifically and using a sales personnel sample, this research extends current understanding of deviant behavior in two key areas. Our findings show (1) a negative relationship between job satisfaction and each dimension of salesperson deviance, and (2) customer orientation moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and salesperson deviance. Thus, we present a more holistic view of salesperson deviance and, in practical terms, confirm that organizational stakeholders should proactively manage the job satisfaction together with the customer orientation of their sales staff in order to avoid and/or minimize deviant behaviors.

On The Dysfunctional Consequences of Salesperson Exhaustion

Salespeople are particularly susceptible to stress given the nature of their roles. This research examines emotional exhaustion as a facilitator of dysfunctional sales behaviors and accentuates the importance of leadership processes in mitigating stress. Results indicate that leader member exchange is sequentially related to emotional exhaustion, salesperson deviance (organizational, frontline), and turnover intentions. Managerial implications are discussed along with suggestions for enhancing salesperson-manager relationships and mitigating salesperson deviance.

Positive and Negative Social Reactions to Salesperson Deviance

In this study, qualitative methods are used to gain a broader understanding of overall dimensions of salesperson deviant behaviors. Then reactions to the behaviors by others are explored, and contingent factors are identified that lead to either positive or negative social reactions and labels. This important aspect of salesperson deviance is explored to understand why some deviant behaviors are admired and others are shunned. Ultimately, this exploration of salesperson deviance contributes to the sales literature by developing a holistic model of salesperson deviance dimensions and the contingent factors that lead to positive and negative social reactions.

Deviant behavior in retail, when sales associates “Go Bad”! Examining the relationship between the work–family interface, job stress, and salesperson deviance

The unique role of retail sales associates combined with retailers desire to establish relational selling, make associates vulnerable to work–family conflict (WFC). Unfortunately, research examining how retail sales associates cope with a WFC is limited. This research investigates relationships between WFC, job stress, and three dimensions of salesperson deviance: organizational, interpersonal, and frontline. Findings indicate that WFC has a significant direct effect on all three deviant behaviors, as well as job stress. Interestingly, the relationship between job stress and deviant behavior is not significant. This finding adds to the debate regarding job stress as a mediator between WFC and deviant behavior or outcome variable.

Exploring the Impact of Social Undermining on Salesperson Deviance: An Integrated Model

While most scholars debate the importance of doing things to improve the quality of the buyer–seller relationship and investigate the positive side of salesperson’s behavior, little is known about salesperson’s negative behavior or what causes it. In this study, social undermining theory is employed to investigate how a variety of social undermining behaviors influence salesperson deviant behavior. A sample of 469 frontline bank employees responded to a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling and moderated regression were used to test the model, which produced results suggesting that various types of social undermining affect deviant behavior by influencing employee emotional exhaustion. The results also show that salesperson motivation moderates the effect of emotional exhaustion on deviant behavior.

Be Careful What You Look for: The Effect of Trait Competitiveness and Long Hours on Salesperson Deviance and Whether Meaningfulness of Work Matters

Ask sales managers and recruiters what they look for in a salesperson, and they will report that they seek competitive, hard-working professionals who match the culture of their company, and research would support the contention that such things generally help the sales organization. But could two of these factors — specifically, trait competitiveness and working long hours — be associated with counterproductive sales behavior? This research examines the effect of trait competitiveness, hours worked, and person–organization fit on the three forms of deviant salesperson behavior (organizational deviance, interpersonal deviance, and frontline deviance) and, in addition to testing these main effects, investigates whether managers can attenuate these relationships by investing time explaining the meaningfulness of the salesperson’s job to the salesperson. Using survey data collected from 160 business-to-business salespeople from multiple companies and multiple industries, results support five of seven hypothesized main effects as well as three of four hypothesized interactions. The research concludes with an analysis of the findings, a discussion of their managerial implications, and suggestions for future scholarly inquiry.

An Investigation into the Effects of Work–Family Conflict and Job Satisfaction on Salesperson Deviance

The linkages between and effects of work–family conflict and salesperson deviance behaviors have not received adequate attention in the marketing literature. This is surprising given the profound academic and practical implications that could be derived from further research in the area. Research suggests that an alarming 40 percent of sales reps admit to engaging in workplace deviance and 66 percent did not feel that deviant conduct would result in significant punishment. This study examines work–family conflict as a primary antecedent of salesperson deviance. Salespeople experiencing increased divergence between work and family roles will likely react by violating organizational norms that will inevitably affect key organizational outcomes.

Invited Commentary—Structural Modeling in Marketing: Some Future Possibilities

AboutSectionsView PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail Go to Section HomeMarketing ScienceVol. 25, No. 6 Invited Commentary—Structural Modeling in Marketing: Some Future PossibilitiesGirish PunjGirish PunjPublished Online:1 Nov 2006https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1050.0186 Previous Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformationCited ByExamining the impact of job embeddedness on salesperson deviance: The moderating role of job satisfactionIndustrial Marketing Management, Vol. 63Rigor versus method imperialism8 July 2016 | Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 44, No. 5Salesperson directive modification intention: a conceptualization and empirical validation5 May 2015 | Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, Vol. 35, No. 3A Two-Sided, Empirical Model of Television Advertising and Viewing MarketsSSRN Electronic Journal, Vol. 41 Volume 25, Issue 6November-December 2006Pages 551-765 Article Information Metrics Information Received:September 26, 2005Published Online:November 01, 2006 Copyright © 2006, INFORMSCite asGirish Punj, (2006) Invited Commentary—Structural Modeling in Marketing: Some Future Possibilities. Marketing Science 25(6):622-624. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1050.0186 Keywordsstructural modelsmarketing modelsbehavioral theoryPDF download

The Enemy Within: Examining Salesperson Deviance and its Determinants

Until now, sales researchers have not done any empirical work in the area of deviant workplace behavior. This is surprising, given that recent survey data suggest deviant salesperson behavior is running rampant out in the field: 60 percent of sales managers have caught their reps cheating on expense reports, 47 percent suspect their reps have lied on sales calls, and 36 percent believe salesperson behavior has gotten worse in recent years. In an effort to understand workplace deviance in a professional selling context, this paper empirically examines the effect of various organizational/management factors on three types of deviance—organizational, interpersonal, and frontline. Using survey data collected from 160 business-to-business salespeople from multiple companies and multiple industries, we demonstrate that bureaucracy, future orientation, two forms of organizational justice, management role modeling, and intrafirm competition impact the various forms of salesperson deviance as well as citizenship and salesperson service behavior. The research concludes with a consideration of managerial implications and areas for future research.