ABSTRACT

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how salesperson motivations can affect negative states such as envy and emotional exhaustion in the workplace. The study uses Social Comparison Theory and Self-Determination Theory to explain how motivation influences the development of envy and emotional exhaustion, resulting in both turnover intentions and unethical selling practices. This study aims to bridge a gap in the burnout and motivation literature by focusing on envy and emotional exhaustion in the salesforce and answering calls for more research on salesperson well-being, envy, and burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a survey research methodology to address the effects of motivation on negative outcomes, envy, emotional exhaustion, turnover intentions, and unethical selling behaviors. Two hundred and eleven salespeople were surveyed to test the hypotheses. Established scales from prior research were adapted for use in the study and met appropriate levels of composite reliability. The model fit statistics met acceptable thresholds specified in the structural equation model literature. The study used a two-step structural equation modeling approach. First, the measurement model was validated using a CFA to test for reliability, unidimensionality, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. Next, the structural model hypotheses were tested using AMOS 27. Next, the serial mediation and moderated serial mediation effects were assessed using the bootstrap method with 5000 bootstraps and a 95% confidence interval. Finally, estimands were created within AMOS 27 to test the indirect and interaction effects in the full structural model.

Findings

The results show that intrinsic motivation decreases the development of envy, which positively affects emotional exhaustion, turnover intentions, and unethical selling behaviors. The findings show that intrinsic motivation in the salesforce helps to prevent unfavorable comparisons that lead to envy and emotional exhaustion. Thus, sales organizations that nurture intrinsic motivators in the workplace are more likely to prevent salespeople from seeking employment elsewhere and discourage unethical selling behaviors. Additionally, the serial mediation analysis shows that envy and burnout mediate the relationships between intrinsic motivation on both unethical selling and turnover intentions through negative, fully serially mediated relationships. These findings suggest that a sales organization can take action to prevent envy and emotional exhaustion from causing severe problems by implementing intrinsic motivators. Finally, the interaction effects between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation show high levels of extrinsic motivation negate the effects of intrinsic motivation and increase the development of envy, emotional exhaustion, turnover intentions, and unethical selling behaviors. These findings show that sales organizations that invest heavily in extrinsic motivators such as additional pay, bonuses, or commissions should do so with caution to prevent the erosion of the positive effects created by an intrinsically motivated salesforce.

Practical implications

Sales managers must effectively motivate salespeople to drive performance. When incentive structures are aligned with the motivators of salespeople, good salespeople are happy and are likely to stay in their current roles. Many managers attempt to contribute to their salespeople’s well-being by offering extrinsic motivators such as additional pay, bonuses, commissions, or contests to promote competition amongst sales representatives. However, they must also be careful not to cause unfavorable comparisons to the other salespeople that may cause damage to the organizational culture or salesperson morale. The study provides practitioners with insights into how to reduce envy and emotional exhaustion in their salesforce and provides suggestions for incentivizing intrinsically motivated salespeople when visible competitions, promotions, or campaigns may begin to cause burnout and dark side outcomes in the salesforce. Ultimately, sales managers must be diligent in providing salespeople incentives while preventing unfavorable social comparisons and resentment that can erode a positive sales culture. By cultivating a culture of intrinsic motivation, salespeople can be more focused on personal fulfillment and development, which helps to reduce resentment of other salespeople and ultimately helps to keep a salesforce functioning properly.

Originality/value

First, the paper’s value stems from its contribution to a better understanding of salesperson motivation and unforeseen issues that arise when the salesperson and the sales organization’s goals are not aligned. We show how sales organizations benefit from matching compensation and incentives with salesperson motivation while minimizing negative effects that emerge through social comparisons that can develop organically. Second, the paper highlights the challenges that sales organizations face when incentivizing their salespeople since sales careers typically attract extrinsically motivated salespeople. Therefore, it becomes even more important to understand the benefits and drawbacks that can afflict a sales team. Third, the paper fills research gaps by examining the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on the development of envy through social comparisons. Understanding how salespeople develop envy and emotional exhaustion is an important yet under-explored topic. The topic is even more relevant today as more sales teams work remotely, and managers may have difficulty communicating expectations and fostering motivation. Finally, this research synthesizes Social Comparison Theory and Self-determination Theory to help address drivers of salesperson emotional exhaustion and examines the role of motivation in driving these effects.

中文翻译：

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了解销售人员的嫉妒和情绪衰竭如何导致负面后果：动机的作用

摘要

目的

本文的目的是了解销售人员的动机如何影响工作场所的嫉妒和情绪衰竭等负面状态。该研究使用社会比较理论和自决理论来解释动机如何影响嫉妒和情绪衰竭的发展，从而导致离职意向和不道德的销售行为。本研究旨在通过关注销售人员的嫉妒和情绪衰竭，并回应对销售人员幸福感、嫉妒和倦怠进行更多研究的呼吁，弥合倦怠和动机文献中的空白。

设计/方法/方法

该研究使用调查研究方法来解决动机对负面结果、嫉妒、情绪衰竭、离职意向和不道德销售行为的影响。对 211 名销售人员进行了调查以检验这些假设。先前研究的既定量表适用于研究，并满足适当的复合可靠性水平。模型拟合统计量符合结构方程模型文献中指定的可接受阈值。该研究使用了两步结构方程建模方法。首先，使用 CFA 对测量模型进行验证，以测试可靠性、单维性、收敛效度和区分效度。接下来，使用 AMOS 27 测试结构模型假设。接下来，使用具有 5000 个引导程序和 95% 置信区间的引导方法评估串行调解和适度串行调解效果。最后，在 AMOS 27 中创建了估计值，以测试完整结构模型中的间接效应和交互效应。

发现

结果表明，内在动机减少了嫉妒的发展，嫉妒对情绪耗竭、离职意向和不道德的销售行为产生了积极影响。研究结果表明，销售人员的内在动机有助于防止导致嫉妒和情绪衰竭的不利比较。因此，在工作场所培养内在动力的销售组织更有可能阻止销售人员在其他地方寻找工作，并阻止不道德的销售行为。此外，系列中介分析表明，嫉妒和倦怠通过消极的、完全系列中介的关系来中介不道德销售的内在动机和营业额意图之间的关系。这些发现表明，销售组织可以采取行动，通过实施内在激励因素来防止嫉妒和情绪衰竭导致严重问题。最后，内在动机和外在动机之间的交互作用表明，高水平的外在动机否定了内在动机的影响，并增加了嫉妒、情绪耗竭、离职意向和不道德销售行为的发展。这些发现表明，在外在激励因素（例如额外的薪酬、奖金或佣金）上进行大量投资的销售组织应该谨慎行事，以防止内在激励的销售人员所产生的积极影响受到侵蚀。内在动机和外在动机之间的交互作用表明，高水平的外在动机否定了内在动机的影响，并增加了嫉妒、情绪衰竭、离职意向和不道德销售行为的发展。这些发现表明，在外在激励因素（例如额外的薪酬、奖金或佣金）上进行大量投资的销售组织应该谨慎行事，以防止内在激励的销售人员所产生的积极影响受到侵蚀。内在动机和外在动机之间的交互作用表明，高水平的外在动机否定了内在动机的影响，并增加了嫉妒、情绪衰竭、离职意向和不道德销售行为的发展。这些发现表明，在外在激励因素（例如额外的薪酬、奖金或佣金）上进行大量投资的销售组织应该谨慎行事，以防止内在激励的销售人员所产生的积极影响受到侵蚀。

实际影响

销售经理必须有效地激励销售人员提高业绩。当激励结构与销售人员的激励因素相一致时，优秀的销售人员会很高兴，并且很可能会留在他们目前的岗位上。许多经理试图通过提供额外的薪酬、奖金、佣金或竞赛等外在激励因素来促进销售人员的福利，以促进销售代表之间的竞争。但是，他们还必须注意不要与其他销售人员进行不利的比较，这可能会损害组织文化或销售人员的士气。该研究为从业者提供了有关如何减少销售人员的嫉妒和情绪疲惫的见解，并为在可见的竞争、促销活动、或者活动可能开始导致销售人员倦怠和阴暗面。最终，销售经理必须努力为销售人员提供激励措施，同时防止不利的社会比较和怨恨会侵蚀积极的销售文化。通过培养一种内在动力的文化，销售人员可以更加专注于个人成就和发展，这有助于减少其他销售人员的不满情绪，最终有助于保持销售人员的正常运作。

原创性/价值

首先，本文的价值源于它有助于更​​好地理解销售人员的动机以及当销售人员和销售组织的目标不一致时出现的不可预见的问题。我们展示了销售组织如何从将薪酬和激励措施与销售人员的动机相匹配中受益，同时最大限度地减少通过可以有机发展的社会比较而出现的负面影响。其次，本文强调了销售组织在激励销售人员时面临的挑战，因为销售职业通常会吸引外在动机的销售人员。因此，了解可能影响销售团队的利弊变得更加重要。第三，该论文通过社会比较研究了内在和外在动机对嫉妒发展的影响，填补了研究空白。了解销售人员如何产生嫉妒和情绪衰竭是一个重要但未被充分探索的话题。随着越来越多的销售团队远程工作，这个话题在今天变得更加相关，经理们可能难以传达期望和培养动力。最后，本研究综合了社会比较理论和自决理论，以帮助解决销售人员情绪衰竭的驱动因素，并检验动机在驱动这些影响中的作用。管理者可能难以传达期望和培养动力。最后，本研究综合了社会比较理论和自决理论，以帮助解决销售人员情绪衰竭的驱动因素，并检验动机在驱动这些影响中的作用。管理者可能难以传达期望和培养动力。最后，本研究综合了社会比较理论和自决理论，以帮助解决销售人员情绪衰竭的驱动因素，并检验动机在驱动这些影响中的作用。