Identifying peer mentors in the sales force: An exploratory investigation of willingness and ability
Ellen Bolman Pullins, Leslie M. Fine, Wendy L. Warren
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 1996 · Volume 24 · Issue 2
Abstract
There has been a high level of interest in the sales management practitioner literature in mentoring, but very little is known about peer mentoring relationships between more experienced and less experienced salespeople. Sales organizations that wish to initiate or encourage peer mentoring relationships must identify those salespeople who are both able and willing to mentor less experienced salespeople. The results of an exploratory study to identify mentors in an industrial sales force are reported. The authors find that job experience, job satisfaction, a measure of interpersonal competence, and role conflict are associated with willingness to mentor; interpersonal competence and role conflict are associated with ability to mentor. Results are discussed and opportunities for future research are offered.
Keywords
Organizational Citizenship Behavior, Role Conflict, Mentor Relationship, Sales Management, Role Ambiguity
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