Multilevel Effects of Leadership Styles on Selling Approaches and Customer Outcomes
Journal
AMA Educators Proceedings
ISSN
1054-0806
ISBN
9781622766499
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2012-02-17
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Bharadwaj, S.
Abstract
This paper examines how different leadership styles (transformational versus transactional) of sales managers cascade downwards into corresponding (relational versus transactional) selling approaches of salespersons, thereby affecting customer-level outcomes. Results of multilevel analyses of a multisource data set on 517 customers, 265 sales representatives, and 111 sales managers of a financial services company show that a sales manager's transformational leadership style translates into increased satisfaction, loyalty, and cooperation on the part of customers by shaping salespersons' selling approach towards a relational style. In contrast, a sales manager's transactional leadership style appears to translate into decreased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and cooperation by shaping salespersons' selling approach towards a transactional style.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Book title
AMA Winter Educators' Conference 2012: Marketing Theory and Applications
Publisher
American Marketing Association
Publisher place
Chicago, USA
Volume
Volume 23
Start page
101
End page
102
Event Title
American Marketing Association (AMA) Winter Educators' Conference 2012
Event Location
St. Petersburg , FL
Event Date
17.-19.02.2012
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
206373