Inside Sales Force and Gender: Mediating Effects of Intrinsic Motivation on Sales Controls and Performance

Anne Gottfried, Scott Ambrose, Richard Plank

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Business-to-business sales organizations are experiencing inside sales growth as well as increased importance and utilization of their inside sales people. This dynamic role change towards inside sales is resulting in organizations re-thinking their sales control structure. To fill this gap, data was collected from 183 inside sales professionals representing a variety of industries. Utilizing Partial Least Square Analysis (PLS), this study analyzed the influences of gender on the relationship between sales controls and job performance to include measuring effects of intrinsic motivation, both challenge seeking and task enjoyment, on the model relationships. Findings suggest that differences do exist between males and females. Practitioners are given greater insight into how role and gender variables along with control systems and intrinsic motivation work together in the design and implementation of more sales control systems.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of Selling
Volume17
StatePublished - Jan 1 2017

Keywords

  • sales forces
  • inside sales
  • gender studies

Disciplines

  • Business
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences

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