Linking person–job fit and intrinsic motivation to salespeople’s service innovative behavior

Purpose Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) and regulatory fit theories, this paper aims to propose and examine moderated mediation model of service innovative behavior among salespeople. Design/methodology/approach The hypothesized links were gauged based on time-lagged and multiple sources of data collected from salespeople and their supervisors in a large-scale multi-brand retail firm. Findings The hypothesized relationships were confirmed, and the moderated mediation model proposed in this paper was viable. Results suggest that person–job (P-J) fit boosts salespeople’s service innovative behavior, and intrinsic motivation (INTMOT) mediates this relationship. Promotion focus strengthens the positive influence of P-J fit on salespeople’s INTMOT. More importantly, promotion focus moderates the indirect positive link between P-J fit and service innovative behavior through INTMOT. Originality/value This research enhances the current knowledge by assessing promotion focus as a moderator of the impact of P-J fit on service innovative behavior via INTMOT among salespeople. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no established research examining the abovementioned links in the sales literature.