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Sales Force Turnover and Retention: A Research Agenda

Author

Listed:
  • James S. Boles

    (J. Mack Robinson College of Business - Georgia State University - USG - University System of Georgia)

  • George W. Dudley

    (Behavioral Sciences Research Press - Behavioral Sciences Research Press, Inc.)

  • Vincent Onyemah

    (marketing department - Babson College)

  • Dominique Rouzies

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • William A. Weeks

    (Hankamer School of Business - Baylor University)

Abstract

Identifying, acquiring, and retaining top sales talent remains a priority in many sales organizations because salesperson turnover remains such an intractable management problem. This paper seeks to encourage and enrich continued research on sales turnover by introducing recent methodological and theoretical advances in psychological, economic, and organizational theory. First, we suggest an examination of sales turnover guided by social network theory. Second, we propose the simultaneous consideration of the interplay between variables within a comprehensive, integrated multilevel framework. Third, in keeping with the shift in research designs initiated in management, our model includes the concept of "shocks"--jarring events that could drive turnover decisions. Finally, we propose to examine sales turnover within an international context. The conceptual framework we present outlines how sales organizations might effectively address sales force turnover and, as a consequence, improve productivity. We conclude by suggesting some specific research questions intended to provide direction for researchers interested in identifying and investigating underresearched linkages.

Suggested Citation

  • James S. Boles & George W. Dudley & Vincent Onyemah & Dominique Rouzies & William A. Weeks, 2012. "Sales Force Turnover and Retention: A Research Agenda," Post-Print hal-00663426, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00663426
    DOI: 10.2753/PSS0885-3134320111
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dishop, Christopher R. & Good, Valerie, 2022. "A dynamic system of job performance with goals and leadership changes as shocks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 602-613.
    2. Krzysztof Cybulski, 2015. "Fluktuacja sprzedawców w ocenie mened¿erów polskich przedsiêbiorstw," Faculty of Management Working Paper Series 52015, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management.
    3. Doug J. Chung & Byungyeon Kim & Byoung G. Park, 2021. "The Comprehensive Effects of Sales Force Management: A Dynamic Structural Analysis of Selection, Compensation, and Training," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(11), pages 7046-7074, November.
    4. Krzysztof Cybulski, 2016. "Determinants and Consequences of Involuntary Turnover of Sales Personnel (Uwarunkowania oraz konsekwencje wymuszonej fluktuacji sprzedawcow)," Research Reports, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 2(22), pages 194-200.
    5. Skiba, Jenifer & Saini, Amit & Friend, Scott B., 2016. "The effect of managerial cost prioritization on sales force turnover," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5917-5924.
    6. Riley Dugan & Maria Rouziou & Bryan Hochstein, 2019. "“It is better to be loved than feared: Machiavellianism and the dark side of internal networking”," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 261-274, December.
    7. Johnson, Jeff S. & Friend, Scott B. & Rutherford, Brian N. & Hamwi, G. Alexander, 2016. "Absolute versus relative sales failure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 596-603.
    8. Vaid, Shashank & Ahearne, Michael & Honig, Benson & Krause, Ryan, 2023. "Customer-related executive leadership turnover and firm performance: A dilemma of firm-level human resource contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    9. Hartmann, Nathaniel N. & Rutherford, Brian N. & Park, JungKun, 2017. "Sequencing of multi-faceted job satisfaction across business-to-business and business-to-consumer salespeople: A multi-group analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 153-159.
    10. Cong Feng & Scott Fay & Kexin Xiang, 2021. "When do we need higher educated salespeople? The role of work experience," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(5), pages 1391-1429, July.
    11. Sandra Castro-González & Belén Bande & Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez, 2021. "How Can Companies Decrease Salesperson Turnover Intention? The Corporate Social Responsibility Intervention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-16, January.
    12. Shobha Mishra & Vibhuti Tripathi, 2022. "Theoretical framework on state-of-the-art sales ethics in marketing," International Journal of System Assurance Engineering and Management, Springer;The Society for Reliability, Engineering Quality and Operations Management (SREQOM),India, and Division of Operation and Maintenance, Lulea University of Technology, Sweden, vol. 13(1), pages 57-78, February.
    13. Steven Lu & Andre Bonfrer & Ranjit Voola, 2015. "Retaining Talented Salespeople," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 2(2), pages 148-164, June.

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