Adaptability and Intraindividual Variation in Sales Outcomes: Exploring the Interactive Effects of Personality and Environmental Opportunity

Personnel Psychology, Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 307-322, 2006

46 Pages Posted: 11 May 2011

See all articles by Greg L. Stewart

Greg L. Stewart

University of Iowa

Amit Nandkeolyar

Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad

Date Written: Dec 16, 2005

Abstract

Many practices in the field of industrial-organizational psychology assume that individual performance is stable across time; yet, little is actually known about the extent to which performance varies within individuals. We specifically address this issue by exploring the longitudinal influence of a situational opportunity (referrals received from the central office) on intraindividual performance outcomes of sales representatives. We also explore conscientiousness and openness to experience as traits that explain variation in adaptation to changes in referrals. Our results show that more weekly variation in individual performance resides within individuals than between individuals. A majority of this variance is explained by the situational opportunity of referrals. Further, the positive relationship between referrals and outcomes is stronger for sales representatives high on conscientiousness, but weaker for representatives high on openness to experience.

Keywords: Adaptation, Sales, Personality, Environment, Opportunity, Job performance.

Suggested Citation

Stewart, Greg L. and Nandkeolyar, Amit, Adaptability and Intraindividual Variation in Sales Outcomes: Exploring the Interactive Effects of Personality and Environmental Opportunity (Dec 16, 2005). Personnel Psychology, Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 307-322, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1831210

Greg L. Stewart

University of Iowa ( email )

341 Schaeffer Hall
Iowa City, IA 52242-1097
United States

Amit Nandkeolyar (Contact Author)

Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad ( email )

Hyderabad, Gachibowli 500 019
India

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