Transformational leadership as a mediator of the relationship between behavior‐based control and salespeople's key outcomes : An initial investigation

Purpose – Two rather distinct lines of theory/research have emerged in the study of sales manager's effectiveness. The first focuses on the notion of sales force control systems (SFCS) while the second focuses on transformational leadership (TL) behaviors. To date, however, no theoretical or empirical attempt has been made to integrate these two mostly unconnected streams of research in a sales management context. The present study aims to attempt such integration by conceptualizing TL as a mediator of the relationship between behavior‐based control (BBC) and key salesperson outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Responses were gathered via a mail survey from a sample of 128 salespeople working in various industries. Structural equation modeling was employed. Findings – The results provide evidence for the mediating effect of TL on the relationships between BBC and key salesperson outcomes. Moreover, it was found that BBC positively affects TL behaviors, which, in turn, enhance salesperson performance, satisfaction with supervision, and organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications – The present study focused at SFCS as a possible antecedent of TL behaviors. Future researchers should identify other possible antecedents of TL behaviors. Practical implications – With the assumption that TL behaviors enhance salespeople's motivation and performance, chief sales executives should employ a BBC system, as it can facilitate the ability of sales managers to engage in TL behaviors. Originality/value – This paper fills an important void in current leadership research and offers practical guidance to sales managers.