Previous research has examined the dysfunctional relationships often encountered between marketing and sales, and the importance of cooperation and coordination between these two functional areas. But no prior studies have investigated the consequences of misaligned pricing and sales force compensation strategies that emerge from these two functional areas. This dissertation examines the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the sales force, and evaluates the importance of identifying the misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies as a potential root cause of disappointing program outcomes. Essay 1 uses in-depth qualitative interviews with business-to-business (B2B) salespeople and sales managers across several industries to examine the nature and ramifications of strategic misalignment of pricing and sales compensation approaches. Based on extant literature and insights from the field, a series of potential relationships are proposed between pricing and sales force compensation strategies. Essay 2 examines the effects of misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies on the salesperson’s expectancy, instrumentality, motivation, and behavioral intention. A scenario-based experimental design is used to test the hypotheses in Essay 2 based on data collected from salespeople. The findings of this dissertation suggest that understanding the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the salesperson is an unstudied yet critical factor influencing sales and marketing program success.
","abstract_html":"<p>Previous research has examined the dysfunctional relationships often encountered between marketing and sales, and the importance of cooperation and coordination between these two functional areas. But no prior studies have investigated the consequences of misaligned pricing and sales force compensation strategies that emerge from these two functional areas. This dissertation examines the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the sales force, and evaluates the importance of identifying the misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies as a potential root cause of disappointing program outcomes. Essay 1 uses in-depth qualitative interviews with business-to-business (B2B) salespeople and sales managers across several industries to examine the nature and ramifications of strategic misalignment of pricing and sales compensation approaches. Based on extant literature and insights from the field, a series of potential relationships are proposed between pricing and sales force compensation strategies. Essay 2 examines the effects of misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies on the salesperson’s expectancy, instrumentality, motivation, and behavioral intention. A scenario-based experimental design is used to test the hypotheses in Essay 2 based on data collected from salespeople. The findings of this dissertation suggest that understanding the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the salesperson is an unstudied yet critical factor influencing sales and marketing program success.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ritz, Wendy"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Marketing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Michelle Steward","Dr. Felicia N. Morgan","Dr. Joseph F. Hair"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2013-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:42:53Z","subjects":["pricing strategy","sales force compensation strategy","marketing sales interface","goal conflict","expectancy theory","motivation","behavioral intention","Sales and Merchandising"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/576","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Michelle Steward","Dr. Felicia N. Morgan","Dr. Joseph F. 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But no prior studies have investigated the consequences of misaligned pricing and sales force compensation strategies that emerge from these two functional areas. This dissertation examines the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the sales force, and evaluates the importance of identifying the misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies as a potential root cause of disappointing program outcomes. Essay 1 uses in-depth qualitative interviews with business-to-business (B2B) salespeople and sales managers across several industries to examine the nature and ramifications of strategic misalignment of pricing and sales compensation approaches. Based on extant literature and insights from the field, a series of potential relationships are proposed between pricing and sales force compensation strategies. Essay 2 examines the effects of misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies on the salesperson’s expectancy, instrumentality, motivation, and behavioral intention. A scenario-based experimental design is used to test the hypotheses in Essay 2 based on data collected from salespeople. The findings of this dissertation suggest that understanding the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the salesperson is an unstudied yet critical factor influencing sales and marketing program success.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Effects of Pricing on the Sales Force and the Firm: A Strategic View"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Michelle Steward","Dr. Felicia N. Morgan","Dr. Joseph F. Hair"],"dc:creator":["Ritz, Wendy"],"dc:date.available":["2013-07-18T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Previous research has examined the dysfunctional relationships often encountered between marketing and sales, and the importance of cooperation and coordination between these two functional areas. But no prior studies have investigated the consequences of misaligned pricing and sales force compensation strategies that emerge from these two functional areas. This dissertation examines the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the sales force, and evaluates the importance of identifying the misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies as a potential root cause of disappointing program outcomes. Essay 1 uses in-depth qualitative interviews with business-to-business (B2B) salespeople and sales managers across several industries to examine the nature and ramifications of strategic misalignment of pricing and sales compensation approaches. Based on extant literature and insights from the field, a series of potential relationships are proposed between pricing and sales force compensation strategies. Essay 2 examines the effects of misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies on the salesperson’s expectancy, instrumentality, motivation, and behavioral intention. A scenario-based experimental design is used to test the hypotheses in Essay 2 based on data collected from salespeople. The findings of this dissertation suggest that understanding the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the salesperson is an unstudied yet critical factor influencing sales and marketing program success.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/576"],"dc:subject":["pricing strategy","sales force compensation strategy","marketing sales interface","goal conflict","expectancy theory","motivation","behavioral intention","Sales and Merchandising"],"dc:title":["The Effects of Pricing on the Sales Force and the Firm: A Strategic View"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Marketing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:42:53Z"}