Sequential logic concerning the dualities of sales performance and job satisfaction in B2B relationships of services firms

Abstract

Purpose –To verify the sequential logic between the dualities of salespeople’s objective and subjetive sales performance, and their economic and non-economic job satisfaction. Design/Methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey based on a deductive approach. The sample consists of 732 multi-sized firms in Norway belonging to a range of many different industries and within the service-oriented business sector with a response rate of 53.1%. Findings – Salespeople’s economic job satisfaction relates positively to their non-economic job satisfaction. However, salespeople’s objective sales performance does not relate to their economic nor non-economic job satisfaction, but salespeople’s subjective sales performance bridges to their economic job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications – This study rovides understanding of structural properties of the dualities between salespeople’s sales performance and salespeople’s job satisfaction. It also provides an understanding of the antecedents of job satisfaction. Suggestion for further research are provided. Managerial Implications – Offers guidance for sales managers to understand the link between performance and satisfaction of salespeople in B2B relationships within services firms. A lesson learned is that there is a sequential logic of cause-and-effect between the dualities of sales performance and job satisfaction. Originality/Value – contextualizes the sequential logic of the dualities between salespeople’s sales performance and salespeople’s job satisfaction in B2B relationships within services firms. It also sheds light on the interrelationships between the constructs of objective and subjective sales performance and economic and non-economic job satisfaction. Keywords: economic job satisfaction, non-economic job satisfaction, objective performance, subjective performance, salesperson, sales, business relationships.