F - The Impact of the Digital Sales Work Environment on Value-Creating Sales
Final Report Abstract
Technological advances and the digital transformation offer significant opportunities for B2B firms, emphasizing the need for a digital overhaul across various industries. While much research attention has been on utilizing technology to enhance internal processes, the potential of these technologies on the sales environment has been explored to a lesser extent. While the original main focus of the project was to characterize the digital sales work environment (DSWE) of sales staff, our research shifted to examine "technostress" as a mediating factor in the DSWE after initial interviews suggested its significant impact on salespeople's behavior and outcomes. The project’s general goal was to explore how digital technologies within the DSWE can be both enriching and distressing, identifying the dynamics between different technologies, customer interactions, and the salespeople's perceptions of these as potential stressors. Our qualitative and Netnography studies both revealed that the integration of digital technologies in the sales work environment introduces a complex interplay of technologies and customer interactions, perceived by salespeople as potential stressors. This dynamic can either enrich the sales experience (eustress) or cause distress, impacting both performance and personal outcomes. This finding underscores the transformative and stressful dynamics induced by rapid technological advancements in the DSWE, contributing to the nuanced understanding of technostress beyond its traditional association with single technologies. Subsequent quantitative findings indicated that the variety of digital technologies positively affects salespeople's experience of technostress (eustress), contrary to initial expectations. The quality of digital technologies, defined as the perceived sophistication and flexibility of the available applications, significantly influenced both positive and negative technostress. Notably, positive technostress enhanced value-based selling behavior and creativity, while negative technostress showed no significant impact on these outcomes. The research also highlighted that a broader technology usage directly improves sales performance. Contrary to our expectation that an increase in digital tools would heighten negative technostress, the quantitative study suggests that a greater diversity of digital technologies actually boosts positive technostress. This positive trend is attributed to the variety of technological options available, allowing salespeople greater flexibility in their tasks, thereby enhancing their workflow, satisfaction, and overall performance in the digital sales environment. In summary, the digital transformation in B2B sales environments, characterized by rapid technological advancements, induces a unique form of technostress. Whether perceived as positive or negative, this stress significantly influences salespeople's experiences and outcomes in the DSWE. Our findings underscore the importance of managing the digital sales environment to harness the benefits of technostress, thereby enhancing sales performance and creativity.
Publications
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Exploring Employee Vulnerability in Digital Work Environments. Proceedings of the AMA SERVSIG International Service Research Conference, Glasgow/UK, June 2022
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Wünderlich, Nancy V.
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Exploring Salesperson Vulnerability in Digital Work Environments. Presentation at the VHB Jubiläumstagung, virtual conference, March 2022
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Wünderlich, Nancy V.
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Exploring Salesperson Vulnerability in Digital Work Environments. Virtual Poster Presentation at the 2022 AMA Winter Marketing Educators' Conference, virtual Conference, February 2022
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Wünderlich, Nancy V.
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Technostress dynamics in digital sales work environments. Research colloquium, University of Rostock, October 2022
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Nancy V. Wünderlich
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Technostress dynamics in digital sales work environments. Research Seminar series at TU Berlin, Faculty of Management, June 2022
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Nancy V. Wünderlich
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Impact of the Digitized Sales Work Environment on Customer Orientation. Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings, 1. Georgia Southern University.
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Wünderlich, Nancy Viola
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Impact of the Digitized Sales Work Environment on Customer Orientation. Research colloquium, TU Berlin, March 2023
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Nancy V. Wünderlich
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Where There is Light There is Shadow: Impact of the Digital Sales Work Environment on Salespeople’s Technostress. CHIMSPAS - International Conference on Challenges in Managing Smart Products and Services, Bielefeld/Germany, August 2023
Rötzmeier-Keuper, Julia & Nancy V. Wünderlich
