Differences in motivational perceptions among U.S., Japanese, and Korean sales personnel

Although substantial research attention has been devoted to motivation of salespeople, there is a paucity of empirical work examining motivational differences of sales personnel from various countries. This dearth of interest is surprising given that previous investigations in non-selling situations have found that employee motivational concerns vary across nations. This paper reports results of a study that focused on motivational perceptions among U.S., Japanese, and Korean salespersons. Findings revealed distinct differences among U.S. salespeople and their Asian counterparts. Few motivational distinctions, however, were observed between Japanese and Korean sales personnel. Managerial and research implications are also discussed. J. BUSN RES 1994. 30.175-185.