ABSTRACT

Purpose

Pressure to achieve or exceed performance goals accompanies many sales positions in business-to-business (B2B) organizations. Sales supervisors experience pressure from executives to hit sales targets, exceed quotas, and increase market share. Such pressures may result in supervisor adoption of a bottom-line mentality (SBLM). When this occurs, supervisors tend to focus solely on achieving bottom-line results. When supervisors manage the sales force with this mentality, it may cause their salespeople to experience mental and emotional stress. Individual salespeople are likely to cope with the stress induced by SBLM by employing dysfunctional decision-making behaviors. Ironically, the dysfunctional decision-making techniques used to alleviate the stress engendered by SBLM may actually increase salesperson emotional exhaustion. In this stressful and results-driven environment, salespeople may direct their efforts toward obtaining certain goals at the expense of other priorities, such as their emotional well-being. When salespeople experience emotional exhaustion, various negative outcomes may result. In the present study, we investigate whether emotional exhaustion affects salesperson cognitive and emotional engagement and intentions to seek alternative employment opportunities. Essentially, this study assesses the potential trickle-down effect of performance pressure from organizational executives down organizational channels to sales supervisors and the sales force. Empirically, we examine how SBLM affects salesperson decision making, emotional exhaustion, job engagement, and turnover intention.

Methodology

A theoretical model of our hypothesized relationships is presented and tested using a sample of 274 business-to-business (B2B) salespeople. The sample was obtained through Qualtrics Panels, and a project manager was utilized to conduct an initial cleaning of the data to improve objectivity during data collection and analysis. Survey respondents were subjected to multiple screening questions and attention checks to enhance data quality. All constructs used in the survey were adapted from previous research and were measured using 7-point likert scales. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the measurement properties of all constructs, and structural equation modeling (i.e. AMOS 26) was utilized to test the hypothesized relationships in our model.

Findings

The results highlight multiple negative repercussions of the hypothesized trickle-down effect of organizational performance pressure on sales supervisors and the sales force. Specifically, our findings show that (1) performance pressure from organizational executives incites SBLM, (2) SBLM encourages hypervigilant decision making in salespeople, (3) hypervigilant decision making is a strong predictor of emotional exhaustion, and (4) emotionally exhausted salespeople have lower levels of both cognitive and emotional job engagement and higher intentions to seek alternative employment. Interestingly, while salespeople with lower levels of emotional engagement tend to have greater turnover intentions, salesperson cognitive engagement is not significantly related to turnover intentions.

Practical Implications

The findings from this study have important implications for B2B sales organizations. Sales executives and supervisors need to understand how the “sell, sell, sell” mentality may harm the overall emotional well-being of their salespeople. The present research highlights how the organizational environment influences the behaviors and emotional welfare of the sales force and provides empirical evidence showing that the organizational context has the potential to influence salesperson behaviors and organizational outcomes. Persistently emphasizing bottom-line goals may put the long-term vitality of the sales force at risk. Therefore, organizational executives and sales supervisors should be mindful of how they communicate desirable performance outcomes to avoid SBLM and overwhelming individual salespeople. Essentially, organizational executives must be careful not to overemphasize the desire for increased performance goals to sales supervisors, and sales supervisors must avoid continuously highlighting the attainment of bottom-line outcomes when communicating with individual salespeople. Instead, sales managers should consider reducing outcome-based measures (e.g. sales volume) and using behavior-based measures (e.g. effectively communicating with and servicing customers) to assess salesperson performance. Additionally, sales managers should strive to create an authentic, open partnership with individual salespeople and avoid a paternalistic management style. Establishing professional relationships characterized by mutual respect may enable managers to achieve an appropriate balance between attaining bottom-line results and building a mature, confident, and competitive salesforce.

Originality/Contribution

To our knowledge, this is the first article to introduce a form of dysfunctional decision-making (i.e. hypervigilant decision making) to the sales literature. This research is also one of the first to examine SBLM in a sales context. Understanding the impact of SBLM is an emerging research interest in the management literature but considering it through a sales lens is unique. Our findings emphasize the importance of SBLM in B2B organizational environments and provide fruitful avenues for future research in this area. The present study contributes to the sales literature by examining the impact of SBLM on salesperson hypervigilant decision making and the impact of hypervigilant decision making on emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, this study adds to existing research on salesperson engagement and emotional exhaustion by showing how emotional exhaustion negatively affects both the emotional and cognitive engagement of B2B salespeople. Our findings also reinforce previous research by corroborating the inverse relationship between salesperson engagement and turnover intentions.

中文翻译：

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我应该走还是留？绩效压力对主管底线心态和销售人员高度警惕的决策制定、情绪耗竭和敬业度的级联影响

摘要

目的

实现或超过绩效目标的压力伴随着企业对企业 (B2B) 组织中的许多销售职位。销售主管面临来自高管的压力，要求他们完成销售目标、超过配额和增加市场份额。这种压力可能会导致主管采用底线心态（SBLM）。当这种情况发生时，主管往往只关注实现底线结果。当主管以这种心态管理销售人员时，可能会导致他们的销售人员经历精神和情感压力。个别销售人员可能会通过采用功能失调的决策行为来应对由 SBLM 引起的压力。具有讽刺意味的是，用于缓解 SBLM 产生的压力的功能失调的决策技术实际上可能会增加销售人员的情绪衰竭。在这种压力大且以结果为导向的环境中，销售人员可能会以牺牲其他优先事项为代价来实现某些目标，例如他们的情绪健康。当销售人员经历情绪衰竭时，可能会导致各种负面结果。在本研究中，我们调查情绪衰竭是否会影响销售人员的认知和情绪投入以及寻求替代就业机会的意图。从本质上讲，本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。销售人员可能会以牺牲其他优先事项为代价来实现某些目标，例如他们的情绪健康。当销售人员经历情绪衰竭时，可能会导致各种负面结果。在本研究中，我们调查情绪衰竭是否会影响销售人员的认知和情绪投入以及寻求替代就业机会的意图。从本质上讲，本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。销售人员可能会以牺牲其他优先事项为代价来实现某些目标，例如他们的情绪健康。当销售人员经历情绪衰竭时，可能会导致各种负面结果。在本研究中，我们调查情绪衰竭是否会影响销售人员的认知和情绪投入以及寻求替代就业机会的意图。从本质上讲，本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。当销售人员经历情绪衰竭时，可能会导致各种负面结果。在本研究中，我们调查情绪衰竭是否会影响销售人员的认知和情绪投入以及寻求替代就业机会的意图。从本质上讲，本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。当销售人员经历情绪衰竭时，可能会导致各种负面结果。在本研究中，我们调查情绪衰竭是否会影响销售人员的认知和情绪投入以及寻求替代就业机会的意图。从本质上讲，本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。本研究评估了绩效压力从组织高管通过组织渠道传递到销售主管和销售人员的潜在涓滴效应。根据经验，我们研究了 SBLM 如何影响销售人员的决策、情绪衰竭、工作投入和离职意愿。

方法

我们使用 274 名企业对企业 (B2B) 销售人员的样本展示并测试了我们假设的关系的理论模型。样本是通过 Qualtrics Panels 获得的，项目经理负责对数据进行初步清理，以提高数据收集和分析过程中的客观性。调查受访者接受了多项筛选问题和注意力检查，以提高数据质量。调查中使用的所有结构均改编自先前的研究，并使用 7 点李克特量表进行测量。进行验证性因素分析以评估所有构造的测量特性，并利用结构方程模型（即 AMOS 26）来测试我们模型中的假设关系。

发现

结果突出了假设的组织绩效压力对销售主管和销售人员的涓滴效应的多重负面影响。具体来说，我们的研究结果表明（1）来自组织高管的绩效压力会激发 SBLM，（2）SBLM 鼓励销售人员做出高度警惕的决策，（3）高度警惕的决策是情绪衰竭的一个强有力的预测因素，以及（4）情绪疲惫的销售人员有认知和情感工作参与度较低，寻求替代工作的意愿较高。有趣的是，虽然情感参与度较低的销售人员往往有更高的离职意向，但销售人员的认知参与与离职意向并没有显着相关。

实际影响

这项研究的结果对 B2B 销售组织具有重要意义。销售主管和主管需要了解“销售、销售、销售”的心态如何损害销售人员的整体情绪健康。本研究强调组织环境如何影响销售人员的行为和情感福利，并提供经验证据表明组织环境有可能影响销售人员的行为和组织成果。持续强调底线目标可能会使销售人员的长期活力面临风险。因此，组织主管和销售主管应注意他们如何传达理想的绩效结果，以避免 SBLM 和压倒个别销售人员。本质上，组织主管必须注意不要过分强调销售主管提高绩效目标的愿望，销售主管在与个别销售人员沟通时必须避免不断强调实现的底线结果。相反，销售经理应该考虑减少基于结果的衡量标准（例如销售量）并使用基于行为的衡量标准（例如有效地与客户沟通和服务客户​​）来评估销售人员的绩效。此外，销售经理应努力与个别销售人员建立真诚、开放的合作关系，避免家长式管理风格。建立以相互尊重为特征的职业关系可以使管理者在获得底线结果和建立成熟、自信、

独创性/贡献

据我们所知，这是第一篇在销售文献中介绍一种功能失调的决策（即高度警惕的决策）的文章。这项研究也是最早在销售环境中检验 SBLM 的研究之一。了解 SBLM 的影响是管理文献中新兴的研究兴趣，但从销售角度考虑它是独一无二的。我们的研究结果强调了 SBLM 在 B2B 组织环境中的重要性，并为该领域的未来研究提供了富有成效的途径。本研究通过检查 SBLM 对销售人员过度警惕决策的影响以及过度警惕决策对情绪衰竭的影响，为销售文献做出了贡献。此外，这项研究通过展示情绪衰竭如何对 B2B 销售人员的情绪和认知参与产生负面影响，增加了现有的关于销售人员敬业度和情绪衰竭的研究。我们的研究结果还通过证实销售人员敬业度与离职意向之间的反比关系来加强先前的研究。