The concept of perceived quota difficulty and its relevance to ethical decision making and sales performance

Abstract

This conceptual paper uses self-efficacy theory and draws upon the concept of task difficulty to define the construct of perceived quota difficulty and its relevance to ethical decision making and sales performance in the domain of sales. It is proposed that moral judgment, a precursor to ethical behavior positively impacts sales performance. Two dimension of salesperson performance – outcome and behavior performance are discussed and impact on each is highlighted. It is further proposed that a salesperson’s perceived quota difficulty plays a moderating role in the relationship between moral judgment and salesperson performance. A pilot study was conducted with 46 salespeople working in various companies located in Newfoundland and Labrador province of Canada. The measures were found to be reliable and the use of the measures for future empirical work is recommended. The implication of the proposed relationships to sales managers and organizations are presented. Limitations, future direction, and conclusion have been outlined.