Article 2021MEJM

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iddle East J. Management, Vol. 8, No. 5, 2021
Copyright © 2021 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Effect of sales force market-oriented behaviour on
relational performance: emotional commitment and
relational learning roles
Maher Toukabri* and Faouzi Najjar
College of Business Administration,
Northern Border University,
P.O. Box 1312, 91431, Saudi Arabia
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
*Corresponding author
Chaima Zaidi
Tunis University,
Tunis, Tunisia
Email: [email protected]
Abstract: This study examines the antecedents of relational performance in the
services sector and especially the Tunisian Telecom Market. It introduces the
mediating role of emotional commitment and relational learning in the
development of sales force relational performance. After elaborating the
conceptual framework and the hypotheses to be tested, an empirical study was
conducted using two samples from users of telecom products in different
companies in the Tunisian market. The findings shows that the market
orientation lead to the relational performance of the sales force within the
emotional engagement and relational learning moderation effect in this process.
Therefore, this research confirmed the relational performance model in the
Tunisian telecom sector. Then, this study supplies some outcomes that will
likely improve the literature review about relational performance. For this
purpose, we paid due attention to market-oriented behaviours of the sales force
generate sales closures and consequently higher firm revenues.
Keywords: market-oriented behaviours; sales force; relational performance;
emotional commitment; relational learning.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Toukabri, M., Najjar, F.
and Zaidi, C. (2021) ‘Effect of sales force market-oriented behaviour on
relational performance: emotional commitment and relational learning roles’,
Middle East J. Management, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp.426–452.
Biographical notes: Maher Toukabri has accumulated a breadth of teaching,
research and industry experience in the international environments. He earned
his PhD in Marketing from El Manar University in Tunisia. Currently, he is the
Director of Statistic Unit, Supervisor of Common Student Department, a
member of AACSB and NCAAA Programs, a member of Entrepreneurship
Centre, Coaching and Consulting, Associate Professor at College of Business
Administration, Department of Marketing, Northern Border University, Saudi
Arabia. Also, he is a member of the Consumer Behaviour Research Unit, Tunis
El Manar University, Tunisia.

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Faouzi Najjar is currently an Associate Professor at The College of Business
Administration, Northern Border University (KSA). He received his PhD
degree at the Paris X-Nanterre University (France) in 1991 and worked as a
teacher of marketing and strategy at the Higher Institute of Management of
Tunis (HIM), University of Tunis for more 25 years. He has been for more than
12 years the Chair of the Department of Marketing, International Trade and
Modern Languages at the HIM of Tunis and has actively participated in the
Scientific Council, MBA and doctoral committees meetings in the institute. He
was also a member of the National Board of Recruiting Lecturers in Marketing
and Visiting Professor at the HEC Montreal (Canada) and the State University
of New-York at Potsdam (NY, USA). He is also a member of Applied
Research in Business Relationships and Economics-Tunis University.
Chaima Zaidi is currently a Lecturer in Marketing registered in Doctorate
Diploma in Marketing speciality. She is a researcher of many topics in
marketing such as the customer behaviour, the market orientation, the
performance of the sales force, the relational performance, the emotional
commitment, the relational learning roles, the customer satisfaction,
confidence, and loyalty. She has an experience in teaching marketing models at
universities in Tunis, Tunisia. Moreover, she has a professional experience in
commerce and marketing in Tunis, Tunisia. She is also a member of Applied
Research in Business Relationships and Economics Laboratory (ARBRE) at
Tunis University, Tunisia.
1 Introduction
The company’s offerings have become more and more homogeneous. Benefits are
generated more by the relationship capabilities than by the product or service itself (Ivens
and Mayrhofer, 2003). Medlin et al. (2005) believe that relational coordination is a
process that can have a positive impact on the relational performance of the sales force.
Salesperson are likely to contribute to the value creation both for the company and its
customers (Ivens and Mayrhofer, 2003).
Tumwine et al. (2012) state that the relationship capital is a competitive advantage for
businesses. They assert that to achieve performance, the company must develop a
network of relationships with customers. Senior managers must have relevant indicators
to properly manage their sales force. However, it seems to be easier for companies to
improve economic performance by reducing costs than by managing Sales force given
the intangibility and the difficulty of concrete measurement of the Sales force
performance (Lai et al., 2009). Munshi and Hanji (2014) consider that “one of the most
difficult tasks for sales managers is evaluating the performance of sales people under
their control.” Companies often consider relationship development to be positively
related to performance, but little is known about the nature of that performance.
The sales force in contact with customers may have an ambiguous role between
serving the company interests or the customers’ requirements (Christian et al., 2011).
Morgan et al. (2009) note that accurate vendor evaluation is an unresolved problem for
researchers and academics. Jones and Reynolds (2006) state that building customer
relationships is a top priority in many businesses, but some business leaders have been
disappointed by the effects of relationship marketing (Colgate and Danaher, 2000). For
De Wulf et al. (2001), strategy negatively influences the sales force performance.

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The market orientation is considered as the main component of management thinking
founded on marketing concept (Tajeddini et al., 2006). Hence, the customer is considered
to be the starting point of any marketing activity. Interactive marketing is relevant for all
types of organisations (Coviello et al., 2002). The relational approach is a phenomenon
observed both in the B to B framework and in the B to C framework (Ramani and Kumar,
2008). Then, the effective and efficient management of interactions is a source of
sustainable competitive advantage.
This research try to answer to the question how does the impact of the sales force
market orientation on customer-driven relational performance? Then, the present research
aims to investigate the effects of market orientation on customer relational performance
including potential mediating role of emotional commitment, and relational learning.
After having highlighted the theoretical and managerial contributions, we will present
certain limits of our study. Some several research perspectives are developed.
The relational marketing approach is a continuous effort which contributes to high
levels of customer satisfaction and improved profitability. Nowadays, we are attending a
trivialisation of the technical characteristics of products and services. Consequently,
products seem to be relatively equal. Relational competence can be a lever of
performance (Thorsten, 2004; Hooley et al., 2005). In addition, customer links lead to
customer satisfaction and loyalty (Gotteland, 2005). Therefore, the company’s
performance and its differentiation depend on durable customer relationships established
by the sales force (Smirnova et al., 2011).
For the commercial service, there must be a consensus on the meaning of the
information and its implications for the business (Day, 2000). Organisational learning is
the ability of the organisation to share experiences through company employees from
different departments and external partners (Amue and Asiegbu, 2014) to enable learning
that could be stored in the organisational memory. Intra-organisational knowledge
sharing will significantly influence the organisation’s competitiveness (Amue and Igwe,
2014).
Slater and Narver (1995) distinguish between adaptive organisational learning and
generative organisational learning. Adaptive organisational learning is the simplest and
most basic form of learning. A business market orientation may be limited to the
expressed needs of consumers and, therefore, only to adaptive learning. Generative
organisational learning is a double-loop learning. The organisation focuses on the
interrelationships and dynamics of the process for behavioural change rather than on
linear cause-and-effect chains.
It is important to personalise the offer and to follow customers closely in order to
build a database identifying their needs and expectations. Through market orientation, we
can satisfy customers and develop links with them. The primary goal of customer
orientation is the creation of mutually beneficial long-term relationships with customers
(Homburg and Stock, 2004). The research conducted by Smirnova et al. (2011) focused
on the influence of the market orientation with its different dimensions on the systematic
development of relational capabilities of the sales force.
Despite the multitude of research works conducted on market orientation, the
connection between market orientation and intangible (non-financial) results is still rarely
established (Sanzo et al., 2003).
In addition, the continuous relationship with the customer represents a determinant
for reaching a high level of performance and maintaining a comparative advantage in the
service sector (Liang and Wang, 2005).

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The present study aspires to study the influence of market-oriented sales force
behaviours on relational performance in the telecom sector. This study supplies a deep
comprehension that will unquestionably improve the literature review about relational
performance. For this purpose, we paid due attention to market-oriented behaviours of the
sales force, emotional commitment and relational learning to explain relational
performance. We can argue that the present research constitutes a platform which
displays some variables impacting relational performance.
2 Literature review
2.1 Customer relational performance
Performance is recognised as achieving the prescribed organisational goals. Performance
is the result or the process that leads to a result. Performance is measured in terms of the
results of the action or the results of the process. Performance is the passage of resources
while saving them in the process, that we must accomplish in an efficient way to achieve
an effective result (Zohdi et al., 2013; Boachie-Mensah and Issau, 2015). The concept of
‘performance’ highlights three key components, namely efficiency, effectiveness and
relevance of the relationship between resources and objectives.
Salespeople often play two roles in customer interactions: the role of a relationship
manager and the role of a friend (Carr et al., 2005; Heide et al., 2006). The market
orientation of the sales force influences customer-based relational performance via
intermediate variables. Some studies found a positive outcome between customer
orientation, dimension of market orientation and seller performance (Boles et al., 2001).
Customer orientation has a positive impact on the performance of both the sales force and
the company (Cross et al., 2007). The market orientation of the organisation has been
associated with a number of positive attitudes and behaviours on the part of the sellers
(Siguaw et al., 1998; Blesa and Bigné, 2005).
Relational performance indicators are customer satisfaction, the achievement of sales
force results, and the ability of the sales force to strengthen the relationship. It should be
noted that relational results are difficult to evaluate in the short-term (Dwyer et al., 1987).
The performance of the sales force is dependent on the client with whom it interacts.
The company must treat individual customers differently, based on their contribution to
the company’s benefit research has recently begun to examine the impact of marketing
efforts in terms of client-centred measurement (Ahmet et al., 2005). Research works such
as that of Ramani and Kumar (2008) investigated the performance of the sales force in
terms of profit based on the client. According to Ramani and Kumar (2008), profit-based
performance indicators are the identification of profitable customers, the acquisition and
retention of profitable customers, and the conversion of unprofitable customers into
profitable ones. A customer is said to be unprofitable when the costs of acquiring and
retaining this customer exceed his contribution to revenues over time.
2.2 The market orientation
Market orientation expresses the behaviour of the desired sales force with customers
(Siguaw et al., 1998). Market orientation has attracted the attention of both academics
and practitioners operating in the marketing field. According to Lemos et al. (2003),

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market orientation and customer valuation are among the most important determinants of
competitive advantage. Thus, the more intense competition gets, the more likely to adopt
a market orientation businesses are.
Market orientation is defined as a cultural orientation of the company, designed to
stimulate, adapt and create the necessary attitudes on the part of employees to achieve the
objectives of the company and ensure superior and continuous performance. Jaworski and
Kohli (1990) rather focus on employee behaviours. They define market orientation as all
the activities and behaviours required to achieve the organisational, marketing or
financial performance of the company. Other researchers argued for the mixed approach,
such as Homburg and Pflesser (2000), who believe that the market-oriented enterprise
culture is an antecedent of employee behaviour in general and of that of the sales force in
particular. Market orientation is considered as a cultural facet to anchor a particular
behaviour (Hunt and Lambe, 2000).
Managers in a market-oriented organisation focus on the market in general rather than
simply target individual customers (Jaworski et al., 2000). A company is market oriented
only when the whole organisation internalises the values that are implicit in it and when
all the organisational processes converge towards the creation of value to customers.
According to Webster’s (1992) research, marketing is not limited to the marketing
department but to all the departments of the company, for the establishment of long-term
relationships with customers. It is the principle of market orientation that advocates for
inter-functional coordination to build a relationship with customers.
As a result, we will choose the term ‘market orientation’ rather than ‘marketing
orientation’. Hence, customer orientation is considered to be an essential factor in the
quality and continuity of the relationship. The relational performance of the sales force is
seen as a consequence of market orientation (Smirnova et al., 2011). Relational
performance is the result of sales force behaviour over time (Dehaene et al., 2010). To
this end, it is necessary to present the different conceptualisations of market orientation
so as to better understand the relationship between market-oriented behaviours and the
relational performance of the sales force.
It is important to develop a distinctive ability compared to competitors. Market
orientation is the implementation of a marketing concept (Jaworski and Kohli, 1990). It
has been closely scrutinised due to its linkage with competitive strategy (Morgan et al.,
2009). Market orientation can be decisive for better decision-making, responsiveness and
even pro-activity. The concept ‘market orientation’ refers to the simple translation of
‘market orientation’ as developed in the Anglo-Saxon literature. Nevertheless, in
academic articles, we noticed different denominations of the construct ‘market
orientation’: ‘orientation of the company towards the market’, ‘market-oriented
enterprise’, even ‘culture orientation market’. In the present paper, we opted for ‘market
orientation’.
Five different perspectives have been put forward in the literature to ‘operationalise’
market orientation: the decision-making perspective, the market intelligence perspective
or market intelligence, the culture-based behavioural perspective, the strategic
perspective and the client-oriented perspective (Cross et al., 2007; Narver and Slater,
1990).
The measurement of market orientation varies following heterogeneous approaches.
Narver and Slater (1990) opted for a cultural measure. Then, the market-oriented
measurement scale is the most widely used in empirical studies (Greenley, 1995;
Gatignon and Xuereb, 1997; Han et al., 1999). The seven-point Likert scale has 15 items: