Abstract
Findings from prior research show that there is a general tendency to discipline top sales performers more leniently than poor sales performers for engaging in identical forms of unethical selling behavior. In this study, the authors attempt to uncover moderating factors that could override this general tendency and bring about more equal discipline for top sales performers and poor sales performers. Surprisingly, none were found. A company policy stating that the behavior in question was unacceptable nor a repeated pattern of unethical behavior offset the general tendency to treat top sales performers more leniently than poor sales performers. In an attempt to dig deeper to find a significant moderating effect, two follow-up experiments were conducted. In the first follow-up experiment, a specific training program designed to communicate top management's desire to treat ethical matters equally based on the severity of the act had no effect on equalizing the discipline between top sales performers and poor sales performers. In the second follow-up experiment, a stronger company policy that specified a prescribed level of punishment also failed to equalize the discipline. A superior sales performance record appears to induce more lenient forms of discipline, despite the presence of other factors and managerial actions that are specifically instituted to produce more equal forms of discipline. The answer to the question posed in the article title is, "apparently very strong!"
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong, J. S. and T. Overton: 1977, ‘Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys’, Journal of Marketing Research 14 (August), 396–402.
Barrow, J. C.: 1976, ‘Worker Performance and Task Complexity as Causal Determinants of Leader Behavior Style and Flexibility’, Journal of Applied Psychology 61 (August), 433–440.
Bellizzi, J. A. and R. E. Hite: 1989, ‘Supervising Unethical Salesforce Behavior’, Journal of Marketing 53 (April), 36–47.
Bellizzi, J. A. and D. W. Norvell: 1991, ‘Personal Characteristics and Salesperson's Justifications as Moderators of Supervisory Discipline in Cases Involving Unethical Salesforce Behavior’, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 19 (Winter), 11–16.
Bellizzi, J. A. and R. W. Hasty: 1998, ‘Territory Assignment Decisions and Supervising Unethical Selling Behavior: The Effects of Obesity and Gender as Moderated by Job Related Factors’, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 18 (Spring), 35–49.
Chonko, L. B, T. R. Wotruba and T. W. Loe: 2002, ‘Direct Selling Ethics at the Top: An Industry Audit and Status Report’, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management 22 (Spring), 87–95.
Hansen, F.: 1972, Consumer Choice Behavior (The Free Press, New York).
Hegarty, W. H. and H. P. Sims, Jr.: 1979, ‘Organizational Philosophy, Policies, and Objectives Related to Unethical Decision Behavior: A Laboratory Experiment’, Journal of Applied Psychology 64(3), 331–338.
Hunt, S. D. and A. Z. Vasquez-Parraga: 1993, ‘Organizational Consequences, Marketing Ethics, and Salesforce Supervision’, Journal of Marketing Research 30 (February), 78–90.
Hunt, S. D. and S. Vitell: 1986, ‘A General Theory of Marketing Ethics,’ Journal of Macromarketing 6 (Spring), 5–16.
Kelley, H. H.: 1967, ‘Attribution in Social Psychology’, in D. Levine (ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, Vol. 15 (University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln), pp. 192–238.
Laczniak, G. R. and P. E. Murphy: 1993, Ethical Marketing Decisions (Allyn and Bacon, Boston).
Lowen, A. and J. R. Craig: 1968, ‘The Influence of Level of Performance on Managerial Style: An Experimental Object-Lesson in the Ambiguity of Correlation Data’, Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 3 (November), 440–458.
Marchetti, M.: 1996, ‘Women's Movement’, Sales and Marketing Management 148 (November), 76–82.
Mitchell, T. R., S. G. Green and R. E. Wood: 1981, ‘An Attributional Model of Leadership and the Poor Performing Subordinate: Development and Validation’, in L. L. Cummings and B. M. Staw (eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 3 (JAI Press, Greenwich, CT), pp. 197–234.
Paine, L. S.: 1994, ‘Managing for Organizational Integrity’, Harvard Business Review 72 (March-April), 106–117.
Perdue, B. C. and J. O. Summers: 1986, ‘Checking the Success of Manipulations in Marketing Experiments’, Journal of Marketing Research 23 (November), 317–326.
Podsakoff, P. M.: 1982, ‘Determinants of a Supervisor's Use of Rewards and Punishments: A Literature Review and Suggestions for Further Research’, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making Processes 29 (February), 58–83.
Ramsey, R. D.: 1998, ‘Guidelines for the Progressive Discipline of Employees’, Supervision 59 (February), 10–12.
Stanton, W. J. and R. Spiro: 1999, Management of the Sales Force (Irwin, McGraw-Hill., New York).
Strout, E.: 2002, ‘To Tell the Truth’, Sales and Marketing Management 154 (July), 40–47.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bellizzi, J.A., Hasty, R.W. Supervising Unethical Sales Force Behavior: How Strong is the Tendency to Treat Top Sales Performers Leniently?. Journal of Business Ethics 43, 337–351 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023045617076
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023045617076