Synergies between salesperson orientations and sales force control: A person-organization fit perspective on adaptive selling behaviors and sales performance

Yaqin Zheng, Hsin-Yi Liao, Wyatt A. Schrock, Yi Zheng and Zhimei Zang

Journal of Business Research, 2023, vol. 155, issue PA

Abstract: This research investigates why and when salesperson hunting and farming orientations benefit the organization. Data from 391 salespeople at 50 firms show that adaptive selling behaviors mediate the relationship between two customer engagement orientations (i.e., hunting orientation and farming orientation) and sales performance, with hunting orientation having a stronger impact on adaptive selling behaviors than a farming orientation. Moreover, the data reveal that organizational control systems moderate these relationships. Although outcome (behavioral) control strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of hunting orientation on adaptive selling behaviors, behavioral (outcome) control strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of farming orientation on adaptive selling behaviors. Taken together, the study’s findings provide managerially relevant insights regarding mechanisms and moderators associated with hunting and farming orientations, and thus shed light on an important and growing literature stream.

Keywords: Hunting orientation; Farming orientation; Adaptive selling behaviors; Behavioral control; Outcome control; Person-organization fit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:155:y:2023:i:pa:s014829632200916x

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113451

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