Leading the Effective Sales Force: The Asian Sales Force ... - Insead

The definitions:
• Expectancy:
This refers to a salesperson’s estimate of the probability that increased effort on some job
activity will lead to higher levels of performance; in essence, it is a salesperson’s perception
of the linkage between effort and performance.
• Instrumentality:
This refers to a salesperson’s estimate of the likelihood that higher levels of performance
lead to greater rewards; it is basically a salesperson’s perceptions of the linkage between
job performance and attainment of various rewards.
Categorized into:
(a) Intrinsic instrumentality:
This refers to a salesperson’s estimate of the likelihood that good performance would
lead to rewards that are generated from within the salesperson (e.g. personal growth and
development, feelings of worthwhile accomplishment).
(b) Extrinsic instrumentality:
This refers to a salesperson’s assessments of whether effective performance will lead to
receipt of externally bestowed rewards (e.g. a pay raise, promotion).
• Valence:
This refers to a salesperson’s desire to obtain additional amounts of a given reward.
Salespeople’s valences for the following seven rewards were examined:
- a 10 per cent increase in pay;
- a 10 per cent increase in job security;
- a promotion to a higher-level job, a better sales territory, or larger account responsibility;
- formal recognition for achievements;
- an increase in the amount of liking and respect on the job;
- an increase in the opportunities for personal growth and development; and
- an increase in feelings of worthwhile accomplishment.
The findings:
(a) Expectancy:
• There was significant support that salespeople in the USA had higher expectancy mean than
salespeople in Japan or Korea.
• There was no significant difference in expectancy means between salespeople in Japan and
Korea
Possible reasons:
- Organizational efforts in the USA directed at clarifying employees’ job roles (e.g. use of
detailed job descriptions, systematic evaluations) enhance workers’ perceptions of what
efforts they need to expend (as well as toward what job activities) to accomplish
acceptable performance, leading to enhanced expectancy estimates.
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