Skip to main content
Log in

“It is better to be loved than feared: Machiavellianism and the dark side of internal networking”

  • Published:
Marketing Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is a wealth of evidence—from both practice and academic research—demonstrating the efficacy of internal networking for sales performance. However, scant research has examined whether particular individual difference variables may attenuate this relationship. In response, the current research explores an important boundary condition of internal networking; specifically, we examine trait Machiavellianism and its attenuating effect on the positive relationship between internal networking and sales performance. Using survey response data from 147 B2B salespeople employed at a large, warehousing equipment manufacturer, we find that internal networking has a positive effect on objective sales performance, but that this relationship is attenuated when salespeople are high in Machiavellianism, which is marked by flattery, deceit, and manipulative interpersonal behaviors. Additionally, we find that a salesperson’s political skill—specifically their social astuteness and interpersonal influence ability—fuel their desire to engage in internal networking. We conclude our study by providing implications for both theory and practice, and offering suggested avenues for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. We ran a separate study in which 70 Mechanical Turk respondents were presented with the 3 item, Machiavellian scale used in this research and the 20 item Mach IV scale (Christie and Geis 1970). The order of the scales was randomized, and respondents also completed an unrelated filler task between completing the scales. The results indicated a healthy correlation (r = .593) between the two scales, suggesting that the shortened form, Machiavellianism scale captures the boundedness of the construct that measures the use of manipulation, deceit, and other tactics to get one’s way (e.g., O’Boyle et al. 2012).

  2. We would like to thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

References

  • Achrol, R. S., & Gundlach, G. T. (1999). Legal and social safeguards against opportunism in exchange. Journal of Retailing, 75(1), 107–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahearn, K. K., Ferris, G. R., Hochwarter, W. A., Douglas, C., & Ammeter, A. P. (2004). Leader political skill and team performance. Journal of Management, 30(3), 309–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E. W., Fornell, C., & Lehmann, D. R. (1994). Customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability: findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 53–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolander, W., & Richards, K. A. (2018). Why study intraorganizational issues in selling and sales management? Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 38(2), 169–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolander, W., Satornino, C. B., Hughes, D. E., & Ferris, G. R. (2015). Social networks within sales organizations: their development and importance for salesperson performance. Journal of Marketing, 79(6), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolander, W., Dugan, R., & Jones, E. (2017). Time, change, and longitudinally emergent conditions: understanding and applying longitudinal growth modeling in sales research. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 37(2), 153–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boles, J. S., Dudley, G. W., Onyemah, V., Rouziès, D., & Weeks, W. A. (2012). Sales force turnover and retention: a research agenda. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(1), 131–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brashear, T. G., Boles, J. S., Bellenger, D. N., & Brooks, C. M. (2003). An empirical test of trust-building processes and outcomes in sales manager-salesperson relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(2), 189–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C. Y. (2014). A longitudinal study of newcomer job embeddedness and sales outcomes for life insurance salespersons. Journal of Business Research, 67(7), 1430–1438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christie, R., & Geis, F. L. (1970). Studies in machiavellianism. New York, NY: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotterell, N., Eisenberger, R., & Speicher, H. (1992). Inhibiting effects of reciprocation wariness on interpersonal relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(4), 658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crossley, C. D., Bennett, R. J., Jex, S. M., & Burnfield, J. L. (2007). Development of a global measure of job embeddedness and integration into a traditional model of voluntary turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(4), 1031–1042.

  • Cuevas, J. M. (2018). The transformation of professional selling: Implications for leading the modern sales organization. Industrial Marketing Management, 69, 198–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, H., Guan, Y., Wu, C. H., Erdogan, B., Bauer, T., & Yao, X. (2018). A relational model of perceived overqualification: The moderating role of interpersonal influence on social acceptance. Journal of Management, 44(8), 3288–3310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferris, G. R., Treadway, D. C., Kolodinsky, R. W., Hochwarter, W. A., Kacmar, C. J., Douglas, C., & Frink, D. D. (2005). Development and validation of the political skill inventory. Journal of Management, 31(1), 126–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C. & Larcker. D.F. (1981). Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: algebra and statistics, 382–388.

  • Gabbay, S. M., & Zuckerman, E. W. (1998). Social capital and opportunity in corporate R&D: the contingent effect of contact density on mobility expectations. Social Science Research, 27(2), 189–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, G. R., Claro, D. P., & Palmatier, R. W. (2014). Synergistic effects of relationship managers' social networks on sales performance. Journal of Marketing, 78(1), 76–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grams, W. C., & Rogers, R. W. (1990). Power and personality: effects of Machiavellianism, need for approval, and motivation on use of influence tactics. The Journal of General Psychology, 117(1), 71–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grosz, M. P., Göllner, R., Rose, N., Spengler, M., Trautwein, U., Rauthmann, J. F., . . . Roberts, B. W. (2019). The development of narcissistic admiration and Machiavellianism in early adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 116(3), 467–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guidice, R. M., & Mero, N. P. (2012). Hedging their bets: a longitudinal study of the trade-offs between task and contextual performance in a sales organization. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 32(4), 451–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gundlach, G. T., Achrol, R. S., & Mentzer, J. T. (1995). The structure of commitment in exchange. Journal of Marketing, 59(1), 78–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair Jr., J. F., Hult, T. M., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2016). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage Publications, 2016.

  • Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.

  • Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Inkpen, A. C., & Tsang, E. W. K. (2005). Social capital, networks, and knowledge transfer. Academy of Management Review, 30(1), 146–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jonason, P. K., & Webster, G. D. (2010). The dirty dozen: a concise measure of the dark triad. Psychological Assessment, 22(2), 420–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalra, A., Agnihotri, R., Chaker, N. N., Singh, R. K., & Kumar Das, B. (2017). Connect within to connect outside: effect of salespeople’s political skill on relationship performance. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 37(4), 332–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, N. (1999). Social networks and status attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 25(1), 467–487.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie, S. B., Podsakoff, P. M., & Paine, J. B. (1999). Do citizenship behaviors matter more for managers than for salespeople? Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 27(4), 396–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, W. 2014. The problem with using personality tests for hiring. Harvard Business Review (online) available at: https://hbr.org/2014/08/the-problem-with-using-personality-tests-for-hiring. Accessed 05/26/2017.

  • Munyon, T. (2009). An investigation of interpersonal distance and relationship quality at work, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

  • Munyon, T. P., Summers, J. K., Thompson, K. M., & Ferris, G. R. (2015). Political skill and work outcomes: a theoretical extension, meta-analytic investigation, and agenda for the future. Personnel Psychology, 68(1), 143–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Boyle, E. H., Forsyth, D. R., Banks, G. C., & McDaniel, M. A. (2012). A meta-analysis of the dark triad and work behavior: a social exchange perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(3), 557–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien, R. M. (2007). A caution regarding rules of thumb for variance inflation factors. Quality & Quantity, 41(5), 673–690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. L., & Anderson, E. (1994). An empirical test of the consequences of behavior-and outcome-based sales control systems. Journal of Marketing, 58(4), 53–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmatier, R. W., Scheer, L. K., & Steenkamp, J. B. E. M. (2007). Customer loyalty to whom? Managing the benefits and risks of salesperson-owned loyalty. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(2), 185–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey, J., & Rastogi, R. (1979). Machiavellianism and ingratiation. The Journal of Social Psychology, 108(2), 221–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plouffe, C. R., Sridharan, S., & Barclay, D. W. (2010). Exploratory navigation and salesperson performance: investigating selected antecedents and boundary conditions in high-technology and financial services contexts. Industrial Marketing Management, 39(4), 538–550.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plouffe, C. R., Bolander, W., Cote, J. A., & Hochstein, B. (2016). Does the customer matter most? Exploring strategic frontline employees’ influence of customers, the internal business team, and external business partners. Journal of Marketing, 80(1), 106–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rauthmann, J. F., & Kolar, G. P. (2012). How “dark” are the dark triad traits? Examining the perceived darkness of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. Personality and Individual Differences, 53(7), 884–889.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ringle, C. M., Wende, S. & Becker, J.M. (2014). Software SmartPLS 3.0.

  • Villena, V. H., Revilla, E., & Choi, T. Y. (2011). The dark side of buyer–supplier relationships: a social capital perspective. Journal of Operations Management, 29(6), 561–576.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weitz, B. A., Sujan, H., & Sujan, M. (1986). Knowledge, motivation, and adaptive behavior: a framework for improving selling effectiveness. Journal of Marketing, 50(4), 174–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, O. E. (1975). Markets and hierarchies. New York, NY: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yao, X., Lee, T. W., Mitchell, T. R., Burton, J. P., & Sablynski, C. S. (2004). Job embeddedness: Current research and future directions. In R. Griffeth & P.Hom (Eds.), Understanding Employee Retention and Turnover: 153–187. Greenwich, CT: Information Age.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Riley Dugan.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

ESM 1

(DOCX 15 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dugan, R., Rouziou, M. & Hochstein, B. “It is better to be loved than feared: Machiavellianism and the dark side of internal networking”. Mark Lett 30, 261–274 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-019-09503-w

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-019-09503-w

Keywords

Navigation