The effect of honest and humble leadership on salesperson customer orientation

Julia C. Ryan Kirkland, Bryan D. Edwards and Karen E. Flaherty

Journal of Business Research, 2021, vol. 130, issue C, 49-58

Abstract: Drawing on Leader-Member Exchange Theory, our study explores how salesperson perceptions of their leaders influence leader-salesperson relationship quality and ultimately salesperson outcomes, including customer orientation and performance. Extending prior research on sales leadership, our model proposes that an important personality trait of a leader — honesty-humility — influences leadership style (i.e., servant leadership). Servant leadership has a positive effect on salesperson outcomes because it enhances leader-subordinate relationship quality. Data from 317 professional salespeople representing a variety of industries lend support for the proposed serial mediation model: honesty-humility → servant leadership → relationship quality → customer orientation. We conclude that the personality trait of honesty-humility affects leadership style, which in turn impacts salesperson customer orientation and performance via a positive effect on relationship quality. Additionally, we show that salesperson perceptions of difficulty in attaining quota moderate the relationship between relationship quality and customer orientation.

Keywords: Sales leader; Honesty-humility; Servant leadership; Customer orientation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:130:y:2021:i:c:p:49-58

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.021

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