Salesperson Trust Research Articles

Does polychronicity among sales employees develop B2B service recovery? A dual assessment through ambidextrous leadership

PurposeThis research explores the determinants and consequences of salesperson polychronicity in a business-to-business (B2B) sales environment. Additionally, the study examined the link between the antecedents and consequences of salesperson polychronicity using resistance to change (RC) and manager trust in salesperson (MT) as moderators.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework was developed by testing eight hypotheses based on data collected from 378 salesperson-manager dyads.FindingsThe authors find that opening leader behavior is positively associated with salesperson polychronicity, while closing leader behavior negatively influences salesperson polychronicity. In addition, salesperson polychronicity positively affects service recovery performance and customer-directed organizational citizen behaviors (OCB). Finally, the RC and MT significantly and positively moderate the linkage between the antecedents and consequences of salesperson polychronicity.Originality/valueThis study is original because this is the first study to address polychronicity as an individual trait in a B2B environment where multitasking behavior is of paramount importance.

We are not on the same page: The effects of salesperson trust overestimation on customer satisfaction and relationship performance

While vast literature on trust expounds on its critical role in buyer-seller relationships, scholars have only recently begun exploring the impact of inaccurate perceptions of trust. These inaccurate perceptions matter because salespeople might prioritize their customers in ways that do not reflect customers' true profit potential. One serious inaccurate perception is salespeople's upwardly biased perception that their customers trust them more than they actually do, a concept we call salesperson trust overestimation. We develop a framework to explore the effects of salesperson trust overestimation on customer account revenue and word of mouth. We test our model using surveys from matched B2B salesperson-customer dyads and objective performance data. A 1-unit increase in salesperson trust overestimation decreases financial revenue by $7.89 million and potential referral revenue by $1.12 million, indicating severe negative consequences of trust overestimation. Moreover, the negative effects of trust overestimation are exacerbated by relationship intensity and mitigated by market dynamism. These findings have significant theoretical and managerial implications, suggesting limits to the effectiveness of long-term relationships and conditions in which market dynamism may aid in building relationships between salespeople and their customers.

Does service-sales ambidexterity matter in business-to-business service recovery? A perspective through salesforce control system

Service-sales ambidexterity has recently been presented as a modern type of ambidexterity. Despite the huge prominence of ambidexterity's antecedents, literature has overlooked the influence of salesforce control system on service-sales ambidexterity that may turn into service-related performance outcomes. This research examines three main research questions: (1) whether behavior-based and outcome-based control directly predicts service-sales ambidexterity; (2) how service-sales ambidexterity affects service recovery performance and service innovation capabilities; (3) how the relationship among antecedents and outcomes of service-sales ambidexterity shaped by the interaction effect of manager trust in salesperson and resistance to change. We tested our research framework using a sample of 344 sales employees. The findings advocate that behavior-based control have a negative impression on service-sales ambidexterity. In contrast, outcome-based control has a substantial positive impact on service-sales ambidexterity. The study findings also demonstrate the positive influence of service-sales ambidexterity on both service innovation capability and service recovery performance. The present research found that manager trust in salesperson and resistance to change played a significant moderating role between antecedents and outcomes. This study contributes to several literatures and recommends future direction for researchers and practitioners.

Salesperson ethics behavior as antecedent of Islamic banking customer loyalty

PurposeThe development of the banking industry is encouraging increasingly fierce competition. In the face of banking competition, Islamic banks need to build customer loyalty by paying attention to ethical aspects. Ethics has an essential role in forming and preserve relationships between companies and customers in the long term. The measurement model of salesperson ethical behavior in this study was built using the Islamic-based marketing concept. This study aims to test empirical models of Islamic ethics-based salesperson behavior in increasing customer loyalty of Islamic banks through the aspect of customer trust.Design/methodology/approachResearch data were obtained from 165 Islamic bank customers in the Central Java, Indonesia, using the purposive sampling method. Data analysis in this study uses structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study shows that the Islamic ethics-based salesperson behavior has a positive effect on customer trust in a salesperson, customers’ trust in Islamic banks and customer loyalty. Customer trust in a salesperson has positively and significantly influenced customer trust in Islamic banks and customer loyalty. Customer trust in Islamic banks has a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty.Practical implicationsThis study’s results are expected to be used to reference maintenance salesperson in Islamic banking to behave based on Islamic principles. Islamic marketing principles need to be applied through salespersons behaving realistically (al-Waqi’iyyah) and humanistic concepts (insaniyyah). The application of Islamic ethics can limit and avoid deviant behavior from salespeople that is detrimental to consumers and organizations. The behavior of salespeople based on Islamic ethics will build consumer trust in both organizations and salesperson so that it has implications for consumer loyalty.Originality/valueThis paper provides new findings to understand Islamic banking consumer loyalty that focuses on Islamic ethical salesperson behavior point of view. This paper also presents a new measurement of research variables from an Islamic perspective in examining the role of Islamic ethics-based salesperson behavior toward banking customer loyalty. This study takes the object of research in Islamic banking that has different characteristics from conventional financial institutions.

We are Not on the Same Page: The Effects of Salesperson Trust Overestimation on Customer Satisfaction and Relationship Performance

We are Not on the Same Page: The Effects of Salesperson Trust Overestimation on Customer Satisfaction and Relationship Performance

The Effects of Salesperson Trust Overestimation on Relationship Performance

Environmental uncertainty is ever-present in society. One clear and powerful example of this uncertainty is the global pandemic, which caught governments and businesses by surprise. As a result, few business relationships operate the same as they did before the global pandemic. Most popular press articles have been quick to explore the myriad negative effects of the pandemic on the global economy. Our research, however, uses empirical data and identifies potential positive effects of environmental uncertainty in buyer-seller relationships. Prior research examining trust in buyer-seller relationships has shown the effects of trust and trust transgressions on relationship performance. Existing literature, in contrast, does not address the effects of salesperson trust overestimation (the difference between the salesperson’s and customer’s perceptions of trust) on relationship performance. We develop a framework of the effects of trust overestimation on both financial and referral outcomes. Furthermore, we explore conditions in which the negative effects of trust overestimation are exacerbated or mitigated based on customers’ attributions of blame. We use a multi-study approach to test the model, using qualitative interviews from business-to-business (B2B) professionals, surveys of matched dyads of B2B salespeople and their customers, and objective performance from company records. In combination, we find that a 1 unit increase in salesperson trust overestimation decreases financial revenue by $7.89 million, and potential referral revenue by $1.12 million, indicating severe negative consequences of trust overestimation. Moreover, the negative effects of trust overestimation are exacerbated by relationship intensity and mitigated by environmental uncertainty. These findings have significant theoretical and managerial implications, particularly as firms face daily challenges in serving their customers during this period of global economic upheaval. The results of this work suggest limits to the effectiveness of long-term relationships and offer conditions in which environmental uncertainty may actually aid in building relationships between salespeople and their customers.

Trusting and being trusted

PurposeAlthough trust is considered a dyadic and bidirectional phenomenon, the majority of trust research has not considered it as such. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to closing this research gap by analyzing the influence of supervisor’s propensity to trust on salesperson trust in supervisor, considering the mediating role of servant leadership (SL). Additionally, the authors delve into the relationship between trust in supervisor and salesperson turnover by examining the moderating effect of perceived ethical climate (EC).Design/methodology/approachInformation was provided by 145 salesperson–supervisor dyads from 145 companies across various industries. SEM and PROCESS procedures were used to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that a supervisor’s disposition to trust is positively related to employee trust in the leader via its impact on perceived SL behaviors. However and contrary to the expectations, supervisor’s propensity to trust is found to have a direct negative impact on trust in the supervisor, suggesting the presence of additional mediating variables. Finally, the trust dimension of EC moderates the negative influence of trust on salesperson turnover intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings highlight the practical benefits of fostering trust in the workplace and confirm the significant role of trust in the identification of servant leaders. In addition, the study shows that a supervisor’s disposition to trust can have a relevant effect on salesperson’s turnover intentions. Moreover, the results demonstrate the beneficial role of an ethical work climate.Originality/valueThis study offers insight into how to improve the retention of efficient employees and the role of trust, analyzed at a dyadic level, in this process. In addition, the findings suggest why servant leaders adopt this leadership style.

Do sales people trust new customers because of who they are?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the interplay between the characteristics of trustee and trustor in trust formation at the initial stage of a relationship in the B2B context.Design/methodology/approachThe study was experimental. A situation was simulated in which sales managers choose prospective customers on whom his or her company should concentrate after entering the new market. A total of 108 managers participated in the study.FindingsThe results indicate that during the pre-relationship stage salespeople declared trust toward a prospective customer despite having no previous interactions with the other party. Salespeople start the trust-development process by gathering clues about the trustworthiness of the potential partner organization. The cognitive information provided to salespeople impacts interpersonal trust to a greater extent than effective communication. This influence is moderated by trustor trust propensity. There is no difference in the type of information about a trustor when it comes to organizational reliance.Originality/valueThis paper provides a new insight into research on trust in interorganizational relationships as the authors adopted the perspective of the supplier who is most frequently perceived as a trustee, rather than a trustor. It directs attention to the pre-relationship stage, which precedes the interaction that may lead to a relationship developing but also links the object of trust (trustee) with the subject of trust (trustor) and integrates two separate approaches to the ascendance of trust with its multi-dimensional and multi-level nature. Moreover, an experimental design that is rare in research on business relationships was implemented.

How and when a salesperson's perception of organizational politics relates to proactive performance

Politics in the workplace is a reality of organizational life. Several studies have investigated the negative implications of perceived organizational politics on various work attitudes and performance measures but not on proactive performance. However, proactive performance is important in a sales context because salespeople operate in an uncertain environment, and some task aspects cannot be formalized. Moreover, there is still a need for research to analyse the psychological mechanisms that lead perceived organizational politics to cause negative reactions from employees as well as to provide new insights on the boundary conditions of this process. Therefore, we examine the effect of perceived organizational politics on proactive performance through a salesperson's trust in the sales manager, as well as the moderating role of the salesperson's experience.This study uses dyadic data from 192 salespeople and their sales managers from a range of industries. The model entails a moderated mediation process. Results support the proposed model. The findings contribute to the salesforce management literature by suggesting the need to consider the importance of perceived organizational politics and by aiding in the understanding of how and when it hinders proactive performance.

India’s lonely and isolated consumers shopping for an in-store social experience

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how social loneliness, emotional loneliness and social isolation relate to Indian consumers’ enjoyment of social interaction with an in-store salesperson.Design/methodology/approachOver 300 Indian respondents are surveyed about personal disposition, shopping experiences and other factors. The research model and hypotheses are evaluated utilizing partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsAs posited, Indian consumers dealing with loneliness and social isolation tend to enjoy in-store shopping experiences involving personal interactions with salespersons. Further, salespersons’ adaptive selling relates positively to consumers’ predisposition to comply with salesperson input and three outcomes (i.e. trust in salesperson, purchase intention and retail patronage).Originality/valueThis study fills a void in current marketing and retailing literature, providing one of the first known empirical investigations of consumers’ experiences with loneliness and social isolation. Overall, the study shows that store-based retailers within culturally collectivistic emerging markets can capitalize on their unique ability to attract and retain shoppers through in-store salesperson interactions.

Effects of Message Sidedness of Fashion Salespersons on Consumer Behavior -Focusing on the Mediating Effects of Salespersons' Trust and Cognitive Effort-

Message sidedness of fashion salespersons on consumer behavior with the consideration of the mediating roles of trust and cognitive efforts, and the moderation of a regulatory focus of consumers. Two scenarios were devised, a single message in which a salesperson explains only the advantages of a product to customers, and the second with a double message that explains both the advantages and drawbacks of the product. The results showed that participants trusted a fashion salesperson more and perceived stronger cognitive effort for two-sided messages. The two-sided messages mediated the consumer''s trust in the salesperson and cognitive effort, and influenced consumers'' buying behavior. This study also found that salesperson trust was stronger in the two-sided messages scenario than in the one-sided message scenario, regardless of consumers'' focused preference, and that it was more effective for promotion focus customers. The analysis of the results on consumers'' cognitive effort indicated that prevention focused customers did not exhibit any difference in cognitive effort concerning two-sided messages. However, promotion focused customers exhibited an increased cognitive effort in the two-sided message scenario than in the one-sided message scenario. Marketing implications were discussed based on the findings.

How to Generate Store Loyalty? Exploring the Role of Preferential Treatment and Salesperson Trust: Mediating role of Commitment to Salesperson

This article describes how much the importance and impact of preferential treatment by salespersons & customers-salespersons relationship & trust for store loyalty. Providing preferential treatment and customer trust to salesperson can be very useful for managers so that customers can be loyal. This long-term relationship helps retailers gain profits and survive in business. A questionnaire was used to collect data. Most of the data were collected from Faisalabad University students by using convenience sampling, but some of the respondents responsible for different spheres were also included in generalizability. A sufficient number of females have also been included according to the needs of the research. Both preferential treatment and trust in salesperson have a positive impact on the build-up of store loyalty. The results also that trust in the salesperson is more affecting the customer's commitment to the salesperson and thus creates loyal customers.

PERANAN KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA PENJUAL DAN LABEL HALAL TERHADAP MINAT BELI DAGING HALAL

This aimed of this study is to explain the empiricly of factors that influence the purchase intention of halal-meat by Moslem consumers. This research used Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as a model. There are four latent variables that being used to construct this model. Purchase intention of halal-meat was predicted to be influenced by attitude, salesperson trust and halal label. While the salesperson trust and halal label was the antecedent that influence the attitude of halal-meat. The method used halal-meat as the object, population that used are adult or married Moslem consumers in Indonesia with the sample is women buyer. Data collected used convenience approach. The sample was 300 respondents in Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Jakarta.Empirical data analyzed with Structural Equation Model (SEM) Amos. The research result explained that there is positive and significant influence between salesperson trust and label-halal toward attitude, and attitude is positive and significant influence purchase intention of halal-meat. While, the salesperson trust had significant negatively toward purchase intention of halal-meat. In other side halal-label is not significantly influence consumer’s attitude toward halal-meat. PERANAN KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA PENJUAL DAN LABEL HALALTERHADAP MINAT BELI DAGING HALAL

The importance of corporate and salesperson expertise and trust in building loyal business-to-business relationships in China

International relationships are critical to business success in this increasingly interdependent world. China is the world’s second largest economy and may soon overtake the United States in the near future. Thus, it becomes important for potential trading partners to understand how to effectively develop and maintain business relationships with this growing economic entity. In this study, we surveyed Chinese business people with purchasing responsibilities to better understand the dynamics of their business-to-business relationships. The data were empirically analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the interrelationship between perceptions of salesperson and corporate expertise, trust and loyalty. The results suggest that trust and expertise play key roles in developing long-term business-to-business associations in China. Managerial implications are discussed and avenues of future research are proposed.

Hiring and Promotion Policies in Sales Force Management: Some Antecedents and Consequences

The conceptual framework developed in this paper suggests that firms hire salespeople at the entry level and promote salespeople from within the organization to sales management positions, when their sales tasks involve transaction specific skills and they have difficulty hiring salespeople. Hiring at entry level and promotion from within increase salespeople's trust in the organization, and reduce sales force turnover and opportunistic behavior. A test of the framework using survey data collected from 161 firms indicates that firms tend to promote from within when salespeople possess transaction specific skills. Hiring salespeople at the entry level results in greater level of mutual trust between the sales force and the firm and less opportunistic behavior by the salespeople.

Salesperson empathy, ethical behaviors, and sales performance: the moderating role of trust in one's manager

Within the domain of sales ethics, researchers are increasingly challenged to adopt a focus on the emotional elements of sales and ethics. However, previous research has primarily examined the more rational, deterministic element of sales, and ethics-based relationships. The current research addresses this issue. We develop a model based on the person–situation interaction viewpoint of ethics. Specifically, we explore the effects of a key social emotion, empathy, as well as an important situational aspect, trust in one's sales manager, on ethical behaviors. Further, we examine the moderating role of the salesperson's trust in his/her manager on the link between empathy and ethical behaviors. In addition, we examine the impact of the salesperson's ethical behaviors on his/her performance. Using dyadic data collected from salespeople and their respective managers, we test the model through SEM analysis. Results support the direct effects of empathy on ethical behaviors and also highlight the interactive effects of trust and empathy on ethical behaviors.

The influence of organizational and functional support on the development of salesperson job satisfaction

This article investigates whether organizational and functional support (OS and FS) provided to the sales force are distinct determinants of salesperson job satisfaction. We examine whether salesperson trust in their supervisor and in the organization serve as mediating mechanisms through which OS is translated to salesperson job satisfaction. Using data from 157 salespeople in a health care field setting, we explore the relationship between OS and job satisfaction as mediated by trust and moderated by the extent of FS provided to salespeople. Study results were consistent with the hypothesized conceptual scheme of moderated mediation, in that FS moderated the indirect effect of OS on job satisfaction through trust in organization but not through trust in supervisor. These findings broaden current understanding of relationships among trust, OS and job satisfaction and illustrate that the OS–salesperson job satisfaction linkage is more nuanced than previously depicted. This study has important implications for the practice, as it reinforces the notion that trust is essential in a social based employment relationship, yet challenging to manage. Organizations should avoid overinvesting in specific support offered to the sales force and train their supervisors to enact the most effective support practices.

Antecedents and consequences of insurer-salesperson relationships

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the antecedents and consequences of insurer trust and salesperson trust, as well as the relationships between insurer, salesperson, and customer loyalty in order to build a conceptual model which investigates the relationships of insurer trust and salesperson trust, and finds ways to build trust and customer loyalty in the non-life insurance industry in Taiwan.Design/methodology/approach– The data for this study were collected from the customers of non-life insurers’ policyholder service centres and were analysed using in-depth interviews and questionnaires. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was to assess the proposed research model empirically.Findings– This study finds that firm size did not have a significant effect on insurer trust. Customer trust in the insurer was negatively but not significantly related to customer trust in the salesperson. Additionally, when relatives or friends are insurance salespersons; it is easy to build trust with them.Originality/value– This study provides non-life insurers with new avenues for promoting and marketing their insurance.

The effect of communication practice on deviance among Korean salespeople: The mediating role of intrinsic motivation

Previous research on salesperson behavior largely focused on positive and productive behavior and less on the negative side of the salesperson behavior. This research examines the effect of leader–member communication exchange on salesperson workplace deviance and the mediating role of trust and intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Data were collected from 469 salespeople in the Korean banking industry. Results of the structural equation model show that indirect and bi-directional communication between manager and salesperson decrease salesperson workplace deviance by increasing trust and motivation. However, communication frequency and mood have no significant effects on salesperson trust. Finally, motivation (achievement, status, and communion striving) plays a mediating role in the negative relationships between salesperson trust and his/her deviant behavior toward specific targets (organization, coworker, and customer).

The Relevance of Ethical Salesperson Behavior on Relationship Quality: The Pharmaceutical Industry

There has obviously been a recent increased concern over unethical business practices. Certainly, in this era of customer-orientation and emphasis on long-term business relationships, unethical salesperson behavior would be a detriment. We extend the model of relationship quality as developed by Crosby, Evans and Cowles (1990) to include ethical salesperson behavior. In regression analyses, ethical behavior and expertise of pharmaceutical salespersons impact both trust of the salesperson and satisfaction with the exchange as reported by physicians. Implications and suggestions for the pharmaceutical industry are offered.