Salesperson performance and job attitudes revisited : An extended model and effects of potential moderators

Research about the (inter)relationships across salesperson performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment is characterized by equivocal (and sometimes conflicting) empirical results. The study develops and tests an extended model of the performance→satisfaction→commitment sequence that incorporates intrinsic and extrinsic components of salesperson job satisfaction and affective and continuance dimensions of organizational commitment. In addition, hypotheses pertaining to the effects of three potential moderators of the relationships of concern, specifically, degree of performance‐reward contingency, salesperson career stage, and salesperson performance level, are developed and subjected to empirical testing. The results offer valuable insights for sales managers attempting to develop and maintain highly committed salesforces, and researchers attempting to explain the reasons behind the mixed empirical findings in prior research.