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A contingency model of emotional intelligence in professional selling

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Abstract

Despite significant attention from practitioners and broad claims of the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI), empirical support for its incremental direct effects on outcomes relevant to professional selling has been disappointing. However, little research has included relevant contextual variables or the potential interactions of EI with contextual variables when considering its effects. This contingency view of EI maintains that EI is important in work settings, but only under certain conditions. Drawing on the appraisal theory of emotions, the authors develop a contingency model, which proposes that salesperson EI moderates the harmful effects of role stress on three work outcomes—emotional exhaustion, customer-oriented selling, and sales performance. Using three matched data sources from multiple professional selling workgroups in a business-to-business sales setting, the authors find that EI moderates the relationship between role ambiguity and all three outcome variables.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Goutam Challagalla, Robert Dahlstrom, Blair Kidwell, Chris Nelson, Shibin Sheng, and Andy Wood for their helpful comments on this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6025, Morgantown, WV, 26506-6025, USA

    Richard G. McFarland

  2. Farmer School of Business, Miami University of Ohio, Laws Hall, Oxford, OH, 45056-3628, USA

    Joseph C. Rode

  3. Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750333, Dallas, TX, 75275-0333, USA

    Tasadduq A. Shervani

Authors
  1. Richard G. McFarland
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  2. Joseph C. Rode
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  3. Tasadduq A. Shervani
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Richard G. McFarland, Joseph C. Rode or Tasadduq A. Shervani.

Appendix

Appendix

Measurement scales

Sales Manager Responses – Interactional Sales Performance (From Behrman and Perreault 1982); (1 = “among the worst,” 4 = “average,” and 7 = “among the best”)

  1. 1.

    Listening attentively to identify and understand the real concerns of customers.

  2. 2.

    Convincing customers that he/she understands their unique problems and concerns.

  3. 3.

    Using established contacts to develop new customers.

  4. 4.

    Communicating his/her sales presentation clearly and concisely.

  5. 5.

    Working out solutions to a customer’s questions or objections.

Sales Manager Responses - Sales Knowledge (From Rentz et al. 2002); (1 = “highly unskilled,” and 7 = “highly skilled”)

  1. 1.

    Knowledge of customers’ markets and products.

  2. 2.

    Knowledge of your own company’s procedures.

  3. 3.

    Knowledge of competitors’ products, services, and sales policies.

  4. 4.

    Knowledge of product lines, including product features and benefits.

  5. 5.

    Knowledge of customers’ operations.

Salesperson Responses - Role Conflict (Adapted from Rizzo et al. 1970); (1 = “strongly disagree,” and 7 = “strongly agree”)

  1. 1.

    I have to meet incompatible demands from various departments.

  2. 2.

    It is difficult to meet the demands of both my company and customers.

  3. 3.

    I receive conflicting requests from two or more people.

  4. 4.

    I don’t have the company resources to adequately meet customer requests.

Salesperson Responses - Role Ambiguity (From McFarland 2003); (1 = “strongly disagree,” and 7 = “strongly agree”)

  1. 1.

    Clear, planned goals and objectives exist for my job. (Reverse Coded)

  2. 2.

    I know exactly how I am expected to do my job. (Reverse Coded)

  3. 3.

    I know how my performance is going to be evaluated. (Reverse Coded)

  4. 4.

    I receive clear explanations of what has to be done in my job. (Reverse Coded)

Salesperson Responses - Emotional Exhaustion (Adapted from Maslach and Jackson 1981); (I feel this way about my job 1 = “never, and 7 = “always”)

  1. 1.

    I feel energized in the morning before going to work. (Reverse Coded)

  2. 2.

    I feel emotionally drained from my work.

  3. 3.

    I find it exciting to show up for work every day. (Reverse Coded)

  4. 4.

    I feel fatigued when I get up in the morning and have to face another day on the job.

  5. 5.

    I am excited to come in everyday and face new challenges. (Reverse Coded)

Salesperson - Customer-Orientation Selling Behaviors (Saxe and Weitz 1982; Brown et al. 2002); (1 = “strongly disagree,” and 7 = “strongly agree”)

  1. 1.

    I try to help customers achieve their goals.

  2. 2.

    I am generally able to answer a customer’s questions correctly.

  3. 3.

    I enjoy remembering my customers’ names.

  4. 4.

    I get customers to talk about their needs with me.

  5. 5.

    I get satisfaction from making my customers happy.

  6. 6.

    I achieve my own goals by satisfying customers.

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McFarland, R.G., Rode, J.C. & Shervani, T.A. A contingency model of emotional intelligence in professional selling. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 44, 108–118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-015-0435-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-015-0435-8

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