TY - JOUR
T1 - Salesperson improvisation
T2 - Antecedents, performance outcomes, and boundary conditions
AU - Yeboah Banin, Abena
AU - Boso, Nathaniel
AU - Hultman, Magnus
AU - Souchon, Anne L.
AU - Hughes, Paul
AU - Nemkova, Ekaterina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2016/11/1
Y1 - 2016/11/1
N2 - Premised on the idea that not all salesperson behaviors can be pre-scripted and that, increasingly, salespersons must find ways to respond to unexpected but urgent market conditions, this study theorizes the drivers, outcomes and boundary conditions of salesperson improvisation. Using primary data from industrial salespersons, the study examines how perceptions of resource availability and customer demandingness drive salesperson improvisation and condition its sales performance effects. Findings show that higher levels of salesperson improvisation are associated with increased sales performance. Additionally, a heightened perception of resource availability and greater customer demandingness are associated with increases in salesperson improvisation. Furthermore, findings indicate that the salesperson improvisation–sales performance relationship is strengthened when resource availability is greater and when customer demandingness is lower.
AB - Premised on the idea that not all salesperson behaviors can be pre-scripted and that, increasingly, salespersons must find ways to respond to unexpected but urgent market conditions, this study theorizes the drivers, outcomes and boundary conditions of salesperson improvisation. Using primary data from industrial salespersons, the study examines how perceptions of resource availability and customer demandingness drive salesperson improvisation and condition its sales performance effects. Findings show that higher levels of salesperson improvisation are associated with increased sales performance. Additionally, a heightened perception of resource availability and greater customer demandingness are associated with increases in salesperson improvisation. Furthermore, findings indicate that the salesperson improvisation–sales performance relationship is strengthened when resource availability is greater and when customer demandingness is lower.
KW - Customer demandingness
KW - Industrial selling
KW - Resource availability
KW - Sales performance
KW - Salesperson improvisation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961163848&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.02.007
DO - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.02.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84961163848
SN - 0019-8501
VL - 59
SP - 120
EP - 130
JO - Industrial Marketing Management
JF - Industrial Marketing Management
ER -