An institutional logics perspective on salesperson responses to environmental disruptions

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the institutional logics perspective and evidence from 21 first wave and 11 second wave interviews with sales professionals, we offer a framework of salesperson responses to changes occurring in the sales field due to COVID-19. We find that salespeople acknowledge that the pandemic could lead to a new dominant logic (i.e., belief systems, principles, unwritten rules, and practices that guide behavior of sales professionals across the field) that differs from the previous logic. Consistent with the institutional logics perspective, we find support that salespeople choose to either (1) defy the new logic, (2) comply with the new logic, or (3) blend both new and old approaches. We find that the extent and nature to which salespeople change their behavior(s) to align with a new logic can be explained by whether they cast the disruption as a demand or an opportunity. However, factors including organizational support and salesperson perceptions of their own capabilities may serve as a buffer when disruptions are perceived as new job demands. We also find that early career salespeople are more likely to accept new logics.