This report concerns the impact of several organizational climate variables on the job satisfaction of a cross-section of industrial salesmen. To gain greater insight into how climate affects salemen's feelings about their jobs, the relationships between each climate variable and each of seven components of job satisfaction also are examined. Finally, the managerial implications of the findings are explored, and actions that might lead to improvements in salesforce morale are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BloodM. and HulinC.. “Alienation, Environmental Characteristics and Worker Responses,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 51 (1967), 284–90.
2.
CampbellJ. P., DunnetteM., LawlerE. E.III and WeickK. E.Jr. Managerial Behavior, Performance and Effectiveness.New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1970.
3.
ChurchillG. A.Jr., FordN. M., and WalkerO. C.Jr. “Measuring the Job Satisfaction of Industrial Salesmen,” Journal of Marketing Research, 11 (August1974), 254–60.
4.
CochL. and FrenchJ. R. P.Jr. “Overcoming Resistance to Change,” Human Relations, 1 (1948), 512–32.
5.
DowneyH. K., HellriegelD., PhelpsM., and SlocumJ. W.Jr. “Organizational Climate and Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis,” Journal of Business Research, 2 (July1974), 233–48.
6.
FilleyA. C. and HouseR. J.. Managerial Process and Organizational Behavior.Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Co., 1969.
7.
FleishmanE. A. and HarrisE. F.. “Patterns of Leadership Related to Employee Grievances and Turnover,” Personal Psychology, 15 (1962), 43–56.
8.
FordN. M., WalkerO. C.Jr. and ChurchillG. A.Jr. “Expectation-Specific Measures of the Inter-Sender Conflict and Role Ambiguity Experienced by Industrial Salesmen,” Journal of Business Research, 3 (April1975), 95–112.
9.
FordN. M., WalkerO. C.Jr., and ChurchillG. A.Jr. “Job Satisfaction and Discontent Among Industrial Salesmen,” Working Paper 8–75–35, Graduate School of Business, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1975.
10.
FriedlanderF. and MarguliesN.. “Multiple Impacts of Organizational Climate and Industrial Value Systems Upon Job Satisfaction,” Personal Psychology, 22 (1969), 171–83.
11.
GreeneCharles N. “The Satisfaction-Performance Controversy,” Business Horizons, (October1972), 31–41.
12.
GreeneCharles N. and OrganDennis W.. “An Evaluation of Causal Models Linking the Received Role with Job Satisfaction,” Administrative Science Quarterly, (March1973), 95–103.
13.
HackmanJ. R. and LawlerE. E.III. “Employee Reactions to Job Characteristics,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 55 (1971), 259–86.
14.
HellriegelD. and SlocumJ. W.Jr. “Organizational Climate: Measures, Research and Contingencies,” Academy of Management Journal, 17 (June1974), 255–80.
15.
HouseR. J., FilleyA. C., and KerrS., “Relation of Leader Consideration and Initiating Structure to R and D Subordinates’ Satisfaction,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 16 (1971), 19–30.
16.
JamesL. R. and JonesA. P.. “Organizational Climate: A Review of Theory and Research,” Psychological Bulletin, 81 (1974), 1096–112.
17.
JonannessonR. E. “Some Problems in the Measurement of Organizational Climate,” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 10 (1973), 118–44.
18.
KaczkaE. and KirkR.. “Managerial Climate, Work Groups, and Organizational Performance,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 12 (1968), 252–71.
19.
KahnR. L., WolfeD., QuinnR., SnoeckJ., and RosenthalR.. Organizational Stress.New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1964.
20.
Likert, R. The Human Organization.New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1967.
21.
LitwinG. and StringerR.. Motivation and Organizational Climate.Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968.
22.
PritchardR. and KarasickB.. “The Effects of Organizational Climate on Managerial Job Performance and Job Satisfaction,” Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 9 (1973), 110–9.
23.
PrudenHenry O. “Interorganizational Conflict, Linkage, and Exchange: A Study of Industrial Salesmen,” Academy of Management Journal, 12 (September1969), 339–50.
24.
RizzoJ. R., HouseR. J., and LirtzmanS. I.. “Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Complex Organizations,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 15 (1970), 150–63.
25.
RobinsonJohn P., AthonasiouRobert, and HeadRendra B.. Measures of Occupational Attitudes and Occupational Characteristics.Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Survey Research Center, 1969, 79–98.
26.
SchneiderB. “Organizational Climate: Individual Preferences and Organizational Realities,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 56 (1972), 211–8.
27.
SchwabDonald P. and CummingsLarry L.. “Theories of Performance and Satisfaction: A Review,” Industrial Relations, (October1970), 408–30.
28.
StantonWilliam J. and BuskirkRichard H.. Management of the Salesforce, 4th ed. Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1974.
29.
TurnerA. and LawrenceP. R.. Industrial Jobs and the Worker.Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965.
30.
WalkerOrville C.Jr., ChurchillG. A.Jr. and FordN. M.. “Reactions to Role Conflict: The Case of the Industrial Salesman,” Journal of Business Administration, 3 (Spring1972), 35–6.
31.
WalkerOrville C.Jr., ChurchillG. A.Jr. and FordN. M.. “Organizational Determinants of the Industrial Salesman's Role Conflict and Ambiguity,” Journal of Marketing, 39 (January1975), 32–9.
