The effect of working relationship quality on salesperson performance and job satisfaction: Adaptive selling behavior in Korean automobile sales representatives

The adaptive selling behavior (ASB) concept has been the focus of significant attention in research and practice alike over the past decade. However, there has been but a few studies that have investigated this practice outside of a U.S. context. Thus, as this research stream continues to take root, significant questions relating to ASB theory, conceptualization and measurement, and generalizability remain. Given this lack of non-Western ASB research, the authors consider the implications of national culture on ASB. Next, they develop and test a model utilizing a sample of Korean automobile representatives. Salesperson working relationship quality is suggested as mediating the ASB–performance relationship and a new outcome, job satisfaction, is identified. The results serve not only to clarify previously unclear relationships, but also extend our understanding of adaptive selling practices in non-Western cultures.