Synergies Between Salesperson Orientations and Sales Force Control: A Person-Organization Fit Perspective on Adaptive Selling Behaviors and Sales Performance

This research investigates why and when salesperson hunting and farming orientations benefit the organization. Data from 391 salespeople at 50 firms show that adaptive selling behaviors mediate the relationship between two customer engagement orientations (i.e., hunting orientation and farming orientation) and sales performance, with hunting orientation having a stronger impact on adaptive selling behaviors than a farming orientation. Moreover, the data reveal that organizational control systems moderate these relationships. Although outcome (behavioral) control strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of hunting orientation on adaptive selling behaviors, behavioral (outcome) control strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of farming orientation on adaptive selling behaviors. Taken together, the study’s findings provide managerially relevant insights regarding mechanisms and moderators associated with hunting and farming orientations, and thus shed light on an important and growing literature stream.