The effectiveness of improvisational behavior on sales performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: the moderating effect of functional customer orientation
Journal of Asia Business Studies
ISSN: 1558-7894
Article publication date: 13 September 2022
Issue publication date: 7 July 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to apply the contingency approach to explore the effectiveness of the improvisational behavior of salespeople on their sales performance by considering the moderating role of functional customer orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were obtained from a sample of 227 salespeople in Bangkok, Thailand. The data analysis was implemented by partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The overall results indicate that the association between improvisational behavior and sales performance is significantly contingent on the level of functional customer orientation that salespeople exhibit. For salespeople with high functional customer orientation, improvisational behavior clearly shows a positive association with sales performance. In contrast, for salespeople with low functional customer orientation, improvisational behavior appears to have a negative association with sales performance.
Originality/value
This research broadens the knowledge in the literature by showing that improvisational behavior of salespeople needs to be combined with functional customer orientation to yield a benefit to their sales performance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the associate editor of the Journal of Asia Business Studies for their time and effort devoted to help us improve the quality of this research. This research received financial support from National Institute of Development Administration and Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep.
Citation
Charoensukmongkol, P. and Pandey, A. (2023), "The effectiveness of improvisational behavior on sales performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: the moderating effect of functional customer orientation", Journal of Asia Business Studies, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 766-784. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-09-2021-0359
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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