The Effects of Person-Team Fit on Learning Goal Orientation and Salesperson Performance: An Abstract

Guided by goal interdependence theory, this research examines different effects of person-team fit in the sales force. Of particular interest are the ways trait cooperativeness and trait competitiveness might individually and jointly affect objective measures of salesperson performance. In the current study, person-team fit implies that salespeople and their sales teams have compatible personality traits (i.e., trait cooperativeness and trait competitiveness), while person-team misfit implies that salespeople and their sales teams have incompatible personality traits (e.g., cooperative-oriented salespeople within competitive-oriented sales teams).

Following a review of relevant literature, the authors explore relationships between the two traits (i.e., competitiveness and cooperativeness) and measures of learning goal orientation. In line with extant marketing literature, learning goal orientation is modeled as a function of both individual and environmental characteristics. Ultimately, this research proposes that (1) cooperative salespeople in cooperative teams exhibit higher learning goal orientation than those in competitive teams, and (2) competitive salespeople in competitive teams exhibit lower learning goal orientation than those in cooperative teams. In turn, salesperson learning goal orientation is expected to directly and positively affect objective sales performance. As such, person-team fit is proposed to strengthen the positive effect of the two traits studied only when individuals and teams are fit on trait cooperativeness. However, in contrast with a traditional view that misfit is inferior to fit, this research suggests that person-team misfit (e.g., competitive-oriented salespeople in cooperative-oriented teams) can be beneficial and positively drive salesperson performance.

In the end, the current research builds on goal interdependence theory literature to suggest that, in addition to formal goal structure and team structure, trait competitiveness and trait cooperativeness at the team level can also define cooperative contexts and competitive contexts. Several managerial implications (e.g., recruiting and selection) are explored. Research limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.