| Retaining salespeople is a challenge for sales managers. The managerial position is a factor to consider when investigating the reasons for salespeople's commitment to an organization because the manager is, in varying degrees, a representative of the organization. The study developed a model to describe how salespeople's commitment to their organizations is influenced by their perceptions of trust and commitment to their managers. Integrating research on trust and commitment, a structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to test the theoretical model. An online survey sampled 116 real estate salespeople in Los Angeles, California, (a) to determine how salespeople's trust in their managers influences their commitment to their organizations and (b) to investigate whether managerial authority affects the commitment that salespeople have for their managers and impacts their commitment to the organization. Using the framework of social exchange theory, the study affirms the significant role that managers play in salespeople's commitment towards their organizations. The study concludes that salespeople's trust in their managers is a relevant and important factor to consider in understanding sales force commitment. Salespeople who perceive their managers to be trustworthy are more likely to be committed to their managers, experience greater affective commitment, and report lower continuance commitment to the organization. The findings of the study show that managerial authority does not play a role in the way salespeople's commitment to their managers influences their commitment to their organizations. However, an unexpected finding suggests a positive relationship between salespeople's commitment to the managers and their continuance commitment where the manager's authority is low. This study is an important step in rigorously investigating the commitment and trust constructs and in understanding the process through which the manager affects salespeople's continued commitment to the organization. The implications of the findings, limitations of the study, and direction for future research are discussed. |
