Sandra Castro-González, Belén Bande and Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez
The purpose of this study is understanding how companies can improve sales force performance is a key issue. Despite this, the study of the impact that corporate social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is understanding how companies can improve sales force performance is a key issue. Despite this, the study of the impact that corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices might have on salespeople’s performance has been neglected in the sales literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data provided by 176 salesperson–supervisor dyads and through structural equation modeling and conditional process analysis, empirical evidence confirms the hypotheses.
Findings
Certainly, the findings confirm that salespeople’s performance is influenced by their CSR perception, not directly but through their pride and organizational commitment. Furthermore, the results improve when considering the intervention of a responsible leader. The paper also identifies the management implications and makes some recommendations for upcoming studies.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to fill this gap by examining the effect of salespeople’s CSR perception on their job performance through organizational pride and organizational commitment. Additionally, it is suggested that the exercise of responsible leadership by the supervisor strengthens the previous indirect relationship, moderating the influence of salesperson’s organizational pride on their commitment.
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Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez, Carmen Castro-Casal, Romina García-Chas and Dolores Álvarez-Pérez
The purpose of this study was to analyze, through a sequential model, the underlying mechanisms connecting transformational leadership with employee task performance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to analyze, through a sequential model, the underlying mechanisms connecting transformational leadership with employee task performance. Specifically, it examined the causal chain of transformational leadership-job characteristics (task variety and task significance)-job engagement-task performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 320 employees and their supervisors from Spanish young technology and knowledge-intensive small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using structural equations.
Findings
The results show that the effect of transformational leadership on task performance (assessed by supervisors) occurs sequentially via task significance and job engagement. Additionally, job engagement mediates the relationship between task variety and task performance.
Practical implications
Findings highlight the relevance for supervisors to employ a transformational leadership style that leads employees directly and indirectly, through task significance, to be more engaged and achieve higher task performance. They also emphasize the importance of proper job design that allows employees to be fully invested in their job performance.
Originality/value
Despite the importance of leadership and employee performance for the survival and growth of these firms, the study of these relationships is largely unexplored. This study proposes and tests a serial model in which supervisor transformational leadership is linked to employee task performance through two sequential mediators: job characteristics (task variety and task significance) and job engagement.