The Influence of Role Ambiguity and Goal Acceptance on Salesperson Performance and Commitment

A multi-industry sample of industrial salespeople was studied to construct a model that considers the effects of role ambiguity on goal acceptance, salesperson performance, and organizational commitment. Results indicate that role ambiguity negatively affects organizational commitment. Role ambiguity also negatively influences goal acceptance, where goal acceptance positively affects salesperson performance. Further, role ambiguity has no direct impact on sales performance. Implications suggest that sales managers need to have a better understanding of the acceptance of goals by sales agents for optimal job performance and organizational commitment. Specifically, we contend that managers need to work with the sales agents to set apposite goals that are intrinsically accepted by them.