Salesforce personality traits, feedback seeking behaviour goal commitment and sales performance among insurance sales agents in Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

In the contemporary marketing environment, Salesforce Performance is crucial if a company is to remain competitive. Of late, enhancing Sales Performance and hiring the right sales people based on their Personality traits is highly valued given the ever growing pressure of meeting set Sales targets within the insurance sector. Studies have documented that Salesforce Personality Traits have an effect on Sales Performance; however, limited empirical evidence exists to show about the Moderated Mediation effect of Feedback Seeking Behaviour and Goal Commitment on the indirect relationship between Salesforce Personality Traits and Sales Performance. The general objective was to investigate the Moderated Mediation effect of Feedback Seeking Behaviour and Goal Commitment on the indirect relationship between Salesforce Personality Traits and Sales Performance. The study was guided by: Self Determination, Goal Setting and Vroom Expectancy Theories. The study was approached from a positivism research philosophy point of view. The study utilized explanatory research design targeting 448 insurance Sales Agents in Mombasa County, Kenya. Using conditional process analysis, model 4 and model 58 was used. The study found that Self-Efficacy (β=0.44,p<0.00),Proactive Personality (β=0.27,p<0.00) Goal Commitment (β=0.15,p<0.00; β=0.28,p<0.00; β=0.20,p<0.00), had a positive and significant direct effect on Sales Performance. There was a Moderation effect of Feedback seeking Behaviour on the relationship between Self- Efficacy (β-0.11,p<0.01), Locus of Control ((β =-0.10,p< 0.00), and Proactive Personality (β=-0.11,p<0.00) on Goal Commitment. Further, the study confirmed a Mediating effect of Goal Commitment on the indirect relationship between Self- Efficacy and Sales Performance (β = 0.05, CI= [0.01, 0.10), and Proactive Personality and Sales Performance (β = 0.07,CI= [0.03, 0.11)). The study also confirmed that Feedback Seeking Behaviour does have a significant Moderating effect on the indirect relationship between Self-Efficacy and Sales Performance via Goal Commitment (β = -0.73,CI =[0.01, 0.11]) and Proactive Personality (β = -0.73,CI = [0.02, 0.11]) thus providing new knowledge in scholarly literature that Goal Commitment Mediates the relationship between Self-Efficacy, Proactive Personalities and Sales Performance; Feedback Seeking Behavior Moderates the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Goal Commitment, Locus of Control and Goal Commitment and Proactive Personalities and Goal Commitment, and it has a significant Moderating effect on the indirect relationship between Self-Efficacy and Sales Performance via Goal Commitment and Proactive Personalities and Sales Performance via Goal Commitment. The findings of this study reveal strong implications for Organizational Leaders and Managers in the insurance industry in relation to Salesforce Personality Traits, Goal Commitment, and Feedback Seeking Behavior in enhancing Sales Performance. Managers therefore need to help their sales persons to know the right thing to do in every selling situation through indoor training and other programs as it helps them feel confident of their ability to perform their sales job well and perform effectively on many different tasks given to them. A similar study is recommended focusing on other dimensions of Personality Traits.