Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to investigate sales agents’ job embeddedness and withdrawal behaviour by using the Conservation of Resources (COR) as an overarching theoretical framework. It seeks to contribute to better the framework of this model by considering work self-efficacy and person-organization fit as predictors of sales agents’ job embeddedness and withdrawal behaviour under pay for performance system. In particular, it is hypothesized that both work self-efficacy and person-organization fit are negatively correlated with withdrawal behaviours, which include turnover, absenteeism and lateness attitude, and are positively associated with job embeddedness under the pay for performance system. Design/methodology/approach - An online survey was conducted with a total of 105 sales agents in the USA (42 women). Findings - The research reveals findings in favour of the hypotheses that work self-efficacy and person-organization fit are both negatively associated with and significant predictors of turnover intention. However, they are positively and significantly correlated with lateness attitude, which is the opposite of what was hypothesized. Self-efficacy is the only variable that is negatively and significantly related to absenteeism, while the person-organization fit is the only variable positively and significantly related with job embeddedness.