The present paper is an addition to the relevance debate in marketing literature. Research is said to be ‘relevant,’ if it leads to change, alteration or validation of how managers think, talk or act. However, the majority of the literature on relevance debate talks about the decline in relevance, yet no study has scientifically measured it. The present study uses content analysis to analyze the trends in different types of relevance across three different eras of marketing eras (i.e., commoditization, generalization and post-debate era). We also conducted a second study to check the relative importance of different types of relevance to the managers using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results reveal a U-shaped curve of the relevance across these different eras. They also reveal the influence of the relevance debate on the research conducted by academicians. Out of the eight types of managerial relevance identified, “Forecasts” was ranked the highest, followed by “Rhetoric devices” and “Uncovering causal relationships.” Finally, the study also presents a view for an academician to shape his/her research concerning the current needs of the industry.

The present work aims to extend Meyer, Shankar, & Berry (2017)’s work on antecedents of consumer willingness to pay (WTP). This research paper investigates the role of antecedents such as autonomy, quality variability, complementarity, overall quality and bundle quality, for the traditional bundles (i.e., bundles consisting of either goods or services). The paper uses the choice-based conjoint methodology to measure consumer’s WTP for the traditional bundles in an experimental vignette set-up. The study uses four different types of traditional bundles as consumer stimuli to analyze the factors mentioned above. The results indicate that autonomy, overall bundle quality, and quality variability were significant in influencing the consumer’s WTP. Consumer WTP has been widely used as a factor to derive the optimal prices of the bundles in the literature. For a retailer selling a traditional bundle, it is imperative to have an understanding of consumer WTP and also make an attempt to increase it by offering high customer value. By knowing the factors determining the antecedents of consumer WTP, one can reap higher benefits monetarily as well as in the form of increased customer satisfaction. The paper also challenges the view that it is difficult to influence the consumer’s WTP. It advances the understanding of the factors which influence the consumer WTP for the widely used traditional bundles.

Unlike many occupations, a salesperson’s performance is measured primarily by the extent to which he/she meets weekly, quarterly, and annual objectives. Long-term objectives, such as sales, profit, customer satisfaction, and market share quotas are driven by the achievement of short-term and more frequent quota targets, such as the number of leads generated or the number of sales meetings held. In addition, the sales process itself is defined by the achievement of “steps,” such as identifying prospects, securing meetings, identifying needs, overcoming resistance, and gaining commitment. Consequently, it is important to examine the sales agent’s need for achievement (NFA) and its influence on performance outcomes. To date, the research and anecdotal evidence have produced a few models that examine the outcomes of NFA, each explaining respective aspects of variance (Amyx and Alford, 2005; Riipinen, 1994; Hansemark, 1997). Extant literature in NFA domain provides a support for a link (positive correlation) between NFA and performance (Amyx and Alford, 2005). However, results are mixed concerning NFA’s influence on job satisfaction and organizational commitment (OC). Past literature contends that NFA will positively influence commitment (Steer, 1977; Morris and Snyder, 1979; Sager, 1991). However, in a recent empirically study, NFA was found not to have any significant effect on commitment and satisfaction (Amyx and Alford, 2005). Further, Johnson and Stinson (1975) empirically demonstrated that NFA negatively influence satisfaction. Contrarily, recent studies have argued that NFA positively influences satisfaction (Behrman and Perrault, 1984; Bluen, Barling, and Burns, 1990). An important variable often examined as key intervening variable in examining performance outcomes in management and sales domains is role clarity (Lang, Jeffrey, Bliese, and Adler, 2007). Role clarity is an indicator of the extent to which people understand their fit and purpose within an organization (Netemeyer, Maxham and Pullig, 1990; Fisher and Gitelson, 1983; Jackson and Schuler, 1985). This relative sense of fit and purpose may help explain the mixed results regarding the link between NFA and organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Previous research shows that salespeople with a high NFA perform better than those with a low NFA (Amyx and Alford, 2005). Organizations have a vested interest in retaining higher performing salespeople, and both job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment have been linked to retention. Given these relationships and the achievement-oriented nature of the sales job, it is important to understand the relationship, if any, between NFA and two outcome variables, namely, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Specifically, this study first explores direct influence of NFA on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Next, the study investigates how role clarity moderates the influence of NFA on organizational commitment and job satisfaction.