The Effect of Perceived Ethical Climate on the Search for Sales Force Excellence
Department
Marketing and Professional Sales
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2004
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship of perceived ethical climate to individual commitment to quality, organizational commitment, and performance among business-to-business salespeople from two companies. The results indicate a firm's ethical climate has an effect on its sales force. Salesperson's perceptions of a positive organization ethical climate are positively related with their individual commitment to quality and organizational commitment. Although ethical climate does not have a direct effect on performance, it does have an indirect effect on performance when using individual commitment to quality and organizational commitment as intervening variables. Furthermore, the findings suggest an association exists between individual commitment to quality and performance. Implications and directions for future research are discussed