The authors examine the relationships among performance, causal attrib
ution, and the expectancy component of sales force motivation through
the measurement and manipulation of components of a proposed conceptua
l framework. They conducted one field survey, two laboratory experimen
ts, and one field experiment to test hypothesized effects. The results
generally support the hypotheses, indicating that causal attributions
can either raise or lower expectancy, depending on certain underlying
conditions. The results also suggest that salespeople's prior experie
nce may moderate the effect of attribution on expectancy change. These
findings have important implications for sales managers as coaches an
d trainers.