Disciplining top-performing unethical salespeople: Examining the moderating effects of ethical seriousness and consequences
✍ Scribed by Joseph A. Bellizzi Tom
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2005
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 370 KB
- Volume
- 23
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0742-6046
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Managers take many factors into account in deciding the level of discipline to administer to subordinates who have engaged in some form of undesirable work behavior. In general, performing other job tasks well, such as being a top sales producer, has been shown to be more likely to bring about an external attribution (attributing the cause of the undesirable behavior to some person or thing other than the performer) and, in turn, more lenient forms of discipline. However, other factors may be taken into account that might alter a manager's diagnosis of, and response to, undesirable employee behavior. This study examines the general tendency of sales managers to treat top sales performers more leniently than poor sales performers when these salespeople engage in unethical selling. Specifically, the study sought to determine if unethical acts of a more serious nature and unethical acts associated with more serious consequential outcomes would offset the general tendency to treat top sales performers more leniently. Findings revealed that top sales performers are still disciplined more leniently than poor sales performers despite engaging in more serious behaviors that produce more serious consequences. Implications for sales managers are presented.