TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of sales representatives in cross-cultural business-to-business relationships
AU - Gu, Flora F.
AU - Wang, Jeff Jianfeng
AU - WANG, Danny T
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by a department research grant from Hong Kong Polytechnic University ( G-UA3Q ) and a General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council , Hong Kong SAR Government ( 11505714 ). The authors thank the Special Issue Editors, Constantinos N. Leonidou, Magnus Hultman, and the three anonymous IMM reviewers for their insightful and constructive comments.
Funding Information:
This research was supported by a department research grant from Hong Kong Polytechnic University (G-UA3Q) and a General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council, Hong Kong SAR Government (11505714). The authors thank the Special Issue Editors, Constantinos N. Leonidou, Magnus Hultman, and the three anonymous IMM reviewers for their insightful and constructive comments.
PY - 2019/4
Y1 - 2019/4
N2 - This study responds to the call for the “internationalization of sales research” by collecting data from 160 international buyers spanning 33 countries and regions. Based on survey data, archival sales records and cultural-distance indices, this research examines the performance-enhancing effect of sales rep-owned commitment as well as its antecedents under varying degrees of cultural distance. Our results show a strong and direct impact of rep-owned commitment, independent of the effect of firm-owned commitment, on enhancing performance indicators including sales volume, importers' purchase share, and importers' future purchase intentions. Moreover, we find two important antecedents to rep-owned commitment: benevolence trust and capability trust. Interestingly, cultural distance moderates the effects of benevolence and capability trust on rep-owned commitment: the larger the cultural distance, the stronger the effect of benevolence trust but the weaker the effect of capability trust. We conclude with theoretical and managerial implications to international marketing research and practice.
AB - This study responds to the call for the “internationalization of sales research” by collecting data from 160 international buyers spanning 33 countries and regions. Based on survey data, archival sales records and cultural-distance indices, this research examines the performance-enhancing effect of sales rep-owned commitment as well as its antecedents under varying degrees of cultural distance. Our results show a strong and direct impact of rep-owned commitment, independent of the effect of firm-owned commitment, on enhancing performance indicators including sales volume, importers' purchase share, and importers' future purchase intentions. Moreover, we find two important antecedents to rep-owned commitment: benevolence trust and capability trust. Interestingly, cultural distance moderates the effects of benevolence and capability trust on rep-owned commitment: the larger the cultural distance, the stronger the effect of benevolence trust but the weaker the effect of capability trust. We conclude with theoretical and managerial implications to international marketing research and practice.
KW - Cultural distance
KW - Exporting
KW - International marketing
KW - Relationship marketing
KW - Sales representatives
KW - Trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85006149533&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.10.002
DO - 10.1016/j.indmarman.2016.10.002
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85006149533
SN - 0019-8501
VL - 78
SP - 227
EP - 238
JO - Industrial Marketing Management
JF - Industrial Marketing Management
ER -