The selling orientation-customer orientation (S.O.C.O.) scale: A proposed short form
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Routledge
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Public Management
School
School of Marketing, Tourism and Leisure
RAS ID
224
Abstract
This article reports the results of an examination of the Selling Orientation-Customer Orientation scale to determine if the number of items could be reduced while still maintaining the scale's dimensionality and consistency. Analysis of a new Australian data set was undertaken using data from 250 salespeople, 157 of their managers and 276 of their customers in a range of business to business markets. The findings provide evidence that salespeople's customer orientation, as defined by Saxe and Weitz (1982), can be measured with little information loss by ten items, rather than the twenty-four items originally suggested. This significant reduction in length may contribute to a more reliable and valid scale by reducing response fatigue and acquiescence bias, as well as making it possible to include the construct in larger studies with other multiple item scales. Further research is suggested to test the revised scale across a number of industries and consumer groups, to verify its generalizability.
DOI
10.1080/08853134.2001.10754257
Comments
Thomas, R. W., Soutar, G. N., & Ryan, M. M. (2001). The selling orientation-customer orientation (SOCO) scale: A proposed short form. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 21(1), 63-69. Available here