Sales management control research--synthesis and an agenda for future research.

The growing emphasis on more collaborative forms of selling in many organizations during the past decade has stimulated research attention on the role of sales management control in coordinating and directing selling processes. The intent of management control in an organization is to direct and influence the attitudes and behaviors of employees to achieve the organization's objectives (Anderson and Oliver 1987; Eisenhardt 1985; Jaworski 1988; Ouchi 1979). Sales management control considers the extent of salesperson monitoring, directing, evaluating, and rewarding activities of sales managers (Anderson and Oliver 1987). Although researchers agree with this general view of control, there is no consensus as to the construct's conceptualization and the extent to which control should be exercised. The current state of knowledge concerning sales management control indicates important inconsistencies in the conceptualization of control and its consequences. Importantly, research initiatives have been fragmented, and the research stream is in need of a comprehensive synthesis that organizes the various studies that examine antecedents and consequences of sales management control.

Existing knowledge on marketing and sales management control (1) research is based on two seminal conceptual developments. First, Anderson and Oliver (1987), drawing from theoretical approaches in economics, organizational behavior, and psychology, conceptualize a formal management control framework and formulate propositions concerning the consequences of behavior- and outcome-based sales force control systems on salespersons' cognitions and capabilities, affects and attitudes, motivation, behavioral strategies, and performance. Second, Jaworski (1988) proposes a conceptualization consisting of formal and informal dimensions of management control of marketing personnel. The resulting research propositions were rooted, to a great extent, in the management and accounting disciplines and were concerned with the antecedents (e.g., environment) and consequences (e.g., individual effects) of formal and informal control.

Building on these two initial theoretical foundations, selected aspects of marketing and sales management control, as well as various antecedents and consequences of control, have been investigated. Interestingly, Anderson and Oliver (1987) and Jaworski (1988) do not explicitly address the Walker, Churchill, and Ford (1979) sales management conceptualization as a foundation, although their contributions correspond well with this important core sales management paradigm. Walker, Churchill, and Ford (1979) subsume much of what has been considered as management control under supervision and motivation and identify control as an important part of the responsibilities of sales force management. This conceptualization also recognizes the effect of external and organizational constructs on control as well as the effects of control on salesperson outcomes. Moreover, they position sales management control among an array of sales management strategy initiatives.