Managerial latitude and adaptive selling: Important roles of salesperson perceived control and work centrality

Based on the Conservation of Resources theory, we propose a positive relationship between managerial latitude and salespeople’s adaptive-selling behavior. We also propose salesperson perceived control as a relevant mediator and salesperson work centrality as an important boundary condition. Using time-lagged (three rounds, two months apart) data from 321 sales manager-employee dyads, the present work shows that managerial latitude positively influences adaptive selling, both directly and indirectly, via salesperson perceived control. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that salesperson work centrality functions as a moderator of the direct association between managerial latitude and perceived control, as well as in the indirect link between managerial latitude and adaptive selling. The present study carries several important practical implications for organizations operating in different service and manufacturing sectors.