Three Levels of Ethical Influences on Selling Behavior and Performance: Synergies and Tensions

Autor(en)

Selma Kadić-Maglajlić, Milena Micevski, Nick Lee, Nathaniel Boso, Irena Vida

Abstrakt

In general, the business ethics literature has treated the conceptual domains and outcomes of macro-level (industrial), meso-level (organizational), and micro-level (individual) ethical influence separately. However, this singular treatment ignores the synergies and tensions that can arise across these different types of ethical influence. Using sales as a research context, the current study argues that all three ethical frames of references are important in shaping employee behavior and performance and, as such, should be examined simultaneously. The findings show that industrial ethical climate and salesperson moral equity are positively associated with salesperson customer orientation. In addition, industrial and organizational ethical norms have a stronger joint effect on customer orientation than either ethical climate alone. More specifically, a more ethical organizational climate enhances the positive effects of the industrial ethical climate on customer orientation. Furthermore, whereas salesperson moral equity is significantly associated with salesperson customer orientation, strong moral equity beliefs in situations requiring adaptive selling result in weaker sales outcomes. This study concludes with a set of theoretical and actionable implications, as well as a discussion of future research avenues.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Rechnungswesen, Innovation und Strategie

Externe Organisation(en)

University of Sarajevo, University of Ljubljana, University of Warwick, University of Leeds

Journal

Journal of Business Ethics

Band

156

Seiten

377–397

Anzahl der Seiten

21

ISSN

0167-4544

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3588-1

Publikationsdatum

06-2017

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

502052 Betriebswirtschaftslehre, 502019 Marketing

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Economics and Econometrics, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous), Law, Allgemeine Unternehmensführung und Buchhaltung, Business and International Management

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/aa44623b-4a49-4618-82e3-7370febca4fa