The Use of Dominance Analysis to Identify Key Factors in Salespeople’s Affective Commitment Toward the Sales Manager and Organizational Commitment

Selling in the current business environment requires dedication from various members of the organization. It is important for managers and researchers to identify key factors contributing to salesperson commitment within the organization and to the organization in order to achieve sales objectives. The purpose of this study is to identify the relative importance of variables influencing salesperson affective commitment to their sales manager and the commitment to the organization. Using social exchange theory and resource exchange theory, salesperson interaction with their manager is expected to be exchanged for commitment to that manager. On an organizational level, salesperson satisfaction with the organization is expected to be exchanged for commitment to the organization. Dominance is calculated for each of the independent variables examining affective commitment to the manager (trust, integrity, consideration) and organizational commitment (job satisfaction, promotion opportunity, needs fulfillment). Dominance analysis results show relative importance for perceived trustworthiness of the manager on salesperson commitment to the manager and promotion opportunity on salesperson commitment to the organization.