Kellard, Terry (1985) Pay and motivation in car salesmen. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This is essentially a field experimental, psychological
study of the response of a group of car salesmen to
a change in their incentive payment scheme.
It is suggested that the ethos of the Human
Relations movement has inhibited research for a number of
years and that the concepts of this movement investigated
by Whitehead (1938), Roethlisberger & Dickson ,(1964),
Maslow (1943), Herzberg (1968) and Deci (1971) and
propounded by McGregor (1961), Argyris (1962) and 'Mayo
(1975) are not supported by the evidence while research
does establish that pay can, and does, enhance performance
in the work place.
This hypothesis is investigated in a group of car
salesmen - firstly by establishing a personality profile
suitable to the characteristics of the job (which are
described) and then by changing the payment system of a
small group of salesmen, so that they are able, and can
expect to, optimise their income for a period of six
months by selling more vehicles and by increasing the
amount of the profit in each unit sold.
At the end of the experimental period it was found
that the number of units sold by the experimental group
was significantly higher than performance in a previous
period and greater than the control groups. However, the
profit per unit appears to have decreased. It is also
found that high self-esteem and an internal locus of control are related to sales performance.
While it is not possible to ascribe causality for
any changes to the experimental manipulation with any
degree of certainty, there are indications that the
opportunity to optimise income did influence the
salesmens performance.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Sales personnel -- Salaries, etc., Bonus system, Wages and labor productivity, Employee motivation
Official Date:	April 1985
Dates:	Date Event April 1985 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Industrial and Business Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Watson, Tom
Extent:	429 leaves
Language:	eng

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