Shedding Light on Sales Relationships: What Effect Does the Sunshine Act Have on Salesperson Ethical Behavior and Customer Response? Rebecca Burcham (PhDGraduate) Brian N. Rutherford (Dissertation Chair) Joseph F. Hair, Jr. (Committee Co-Second) O.C. Ferrell (Committee Co-Second) Greg Marshall (Reader) Overview The financial relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical salespeople has long been scrutinized for the potential ethical issues that may arise from the influence that financial incentives have on physician prescribing behavior. Until recently, details of these financial incentives were only available to physicians and salespeople. In order to shed light on this relationship, Congress passed legislation, known as the Sunshine Act, with the intent to make transparent financial information. By shedding light on this information, the legislation’s intent is to mitigate the potential ethical issues that such a financial relationship poses. While previous studies examined the impact that the Sunshine Act has on physician ethical behavior, this study introduces the potential effect of information transparency on pharmaceutical salesperson ethical behavior. Additionally, the study looks to address how the change in salesperson ethical behavior brought about by information transparency mediates the effect on salesperson outcome and behavioral performance. Finally, the study seeks to understand how the change in salesperson ethical behavior mediates the relationship with physicians by measuring their loyalty to and trust in the salesperson and in the pharmaceutical manufacturer.
16 | PhD Summaries
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