Salesperson networking behaviors and creativity : exploring an unconventional relationship

Creativity is used generally to describe the generation of novel and useful ideas, products, processes and solutions (Perry-Smith, 2006; Scott & Bruce, 1994). Scholars consider creativity as a critical skill for relationship management (Bradford et al., 2010) and the development of innovative sales approaches (Strutton, Pentina, & Pullins, 2009). One area that is relatively sparse within the salesperson creativity literature lies in the social antecedents of the salesperson’s creativity (Amabile, 1983; Woodman, Sawyer & Griffin, 1993). In the profession of selling, which by nature is built upon social communications (Bagozzi, 2006), a salesperson’s job is embedded within an array of social interactions (Bradford et al., 2010). Further, research reinforces the value of social interactions, because “social interactions with others in a domain should enhance one’s understanding of the area and facilitate the generation of approaches that are feasible and unique” (Perry-Smith, 2006, p. 86). The value of social interactions lies in the inherent information sharing, which enables creativity (Amabile & Khaire, 2008). One common form of salesperson social interactions is their networking behaviors, the degree to which salespeople engage in social interactions that possess the potential to assist them in their work and career (Forrett & Dougherty, 2004). Networking behavior has been noted as an important ability for one’s career (Todd, Harris, Harris & Wheeler, 2009), and serves as a means of enhancing one’s growth and development (Thompson, 2005). Hence, we suggest that networking behaviors plausibly lead to creative behaviors and enable greater adaptation in one’s selling efforts.