Agency- and Institutional-Theory Explanations: The Case of Retail Sales Compensation
- 1 September 1988
- journal article
- Published by Academy of Management in The Academy of Management Journal
- Vol. 31 (3) , 488-511
- https://doi.org/10.5465/256457
Abstract
This research evaluated when organizations use salary compensation and when they use compensation that is based on performance. Variables from agency- and institutional-theory perspectives were used to explore the sales-compensation policies of 54 retail specialty stores. The programmability of a job, span of control, uncertainty, type of merchandise, and the age of a store chain were strong predictors of compensation policy. Overall, the results suggest that both perspectives are necessary for a good description of compensation policies.Keywords
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