Connect within to Connect Outside: Effect of Salespeople’s Political Skill on Relationship Performance

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-13-2017

Publication Source

Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management

Abstract

Scholars have recently explored the effects of salespeople's intraorganizational relationships on salespeople's job-related outcomes. Grounded in social influence theory, we explore the effects of salespeople's intraorganizational skills on salesperson relationship performance. We empirically tested the proposed relationships using the data from a non-Western sales force working with an organization in an emerging economy. The results indicate that salespeople's political skill positively contributes to salespeople's identification with the organization and to creative performance, while strikingly, we also find that salesperson task adaptivity weakens these effects. Moreover, salespeople's identification and creative performance are positively related to customer satisfaction. These findings demonstrate that salespeople's intraorganizational relationships play a key role in enhancing customer satisfaction. In light of these results, we explore implications for marketers and academics and conclude by suggesting directions for further research.

ISBN/ISSN

Print ISSN: 0885-3134; Online ISSN: 1557-7813

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Volume

37

Issue

4

Peer Reviewed

yes

Keywords

Political skill, Organizational identification, Creative performance, Customer satisfaction, Task adaptivity, Emerging economy, Non-Western sales force

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