Understanding effects of salesperson locus of control

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of external locus of control on different job characteristic variables – i.e. role conflict, role ambiguity and emotional exhaustion, in addition to the outcome variable, job satisfaction – in a business-to-business sales setting.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from B2B salespeople were used to test the proposed model using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results indicate that a more external locus of control will be: positively related to role stress factors; indirectly and positively related to emotional exhaustion; and negatively related to job satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study provides a managerially actionable foundation for influencing locus of control to increase a salesperson's satisfaction with his/her position.

Citation

Hamwi, A., Nicholas Rutherford, B., S. Boles, J. and K. Madupalli, R. (2014), "Understanding effects of salesperson locus of control", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-11-2010-0139