Impact of managerial control on the relationship between customer incivility and frontline employees' up-selling behavior

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between customer incivility and salespeople's up-selling behavior as mediated via emotional exhaustion and the moderating effect of sales control systems (e.g., outcome-based control and behavior-based control) on the relationship. Survey data from 397 salespeople working at department stores in South Korea were examined. The results indicated that the negative relationship between customer incivility and up-selling behavior was mediated by emotional exhaustion. Outcome-based control buffered the negative outcomes of customer incivility, whereas behavior-based control strengthened the negative relationship between customer incivility and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, outcome-based control decreased the negative indirect relationship between customer incivility and up-selling behavior, while behavior-based control amplified it.