Spirituality is a hot topic of research in recent times in management arena. Though the organizational researchers have intensely started exploring this area, the studies related to selling organizations are few, and fewer are the studies related to selling organizations with individual (sales professional) as the unit of theory. The present study explores the relationship between ‘individual spirituality at work’ and sales professionals’ ‘job satisfaction’, ‘propensity to leave’ and ‘job commitment’. This work focuses on sales professionals across various industries. A cross-sectional survey method is adopted. Correlation analysis is done to reveal the hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that sales professionals’ spirituality at work is positively related to job satisfaction and job commitment, and negatively related to propensity to leave. The results provide the relevance of spirituality at work to salespeople. The selling organizations can also utilize the information and promote the individual expression of spirituality at work.

Till date, very few studies have looked upon the construct of 'Workplace Spirituality' in selling organization context. This paper integrates workplace spirituality with selling literature. The paper points out that self-interest transcendence is a common aspect in the workplace spirituality concept which emerged a decade ago and in most of the relationship oriented selling characteristics -Customer Orientation, Adaptability, Service Orientation and Ethical Selling behavior. Based on the common aspect of self-interest transcendence, we propose that workplace spirituality is a precursor to relationship oriented selling. Four propositions are generated and the empirical verification can be done in future research.

Highlights Morphology of Service Failure and Recovery in B2B markets is analyzed. Eight dimensions and 62 variants are identified. 418 research gaps identified using a Variants Intersection Matrix. Service failure modes and combinations of recovery mechanisms are highlighted.

Purpose Considering recent changes in sales practices, such as the sales role becoming more strategic, increased reliance on technology for sales activities, increased stress from adding technological responsibilities to the sales role and decreased avenues of social support (such as traditional forms of community) to cope with work-related stressors, there is a need to reconsider Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification scheme of determinants of sales performance, which was based on literature published before these critical changes became apparent. This paper aims to conduct a systematic review of sales performance research published during 1983–2018 to propose an extension to Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification. Design/methodology/approach This paper followed a systematic approach to the literature review in five sequential steps – search, selection, quality control, extraction and synthesis – as suggested by Tranfield et al. (2003). In total, 261 peer-reviewed journal papers from 36 different journals were selected for extraction and synthesis. Findings The findings make the following additions to the classification: strategic and nonstrategic activities as a new category, technological drivers of sales performance and job-related psychosocial factors as a broader category to replace role perceptions. Derived from the job demand–control–support model, three subcategories within the category of job-related psychosocial factors are psychological demands (encompasses role perceptions and digital-age stressors such as technostress creators), job control and work-related social support. Research limitations/implications This paper identifies that manager’s role in facilitating technology skills, providing informal social support to remote or virtual salespeople using technology, and encouraging strategic behaviors in salespeople are future research areas having good potential. Understanding and building positive psychology aspects in salespeople and their effect on sales performance is another promising area. Practical implications Newly added technological drivers draw the attention of sales firms toward the influence of technology and its skilful usage on salesperson performance. Newly added strategic activities makes a case for the importance of strategic participation in salesperson performance. Originality/value This review extends Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification scheme to include recent changes that sales profession and literature have undergone.

Chatbots have become common in marketing-related applications, providing 24/7 service, engaging customers in humanlike conversation, and reducing employee workload in handling customer calls. However, the academic literature on the use of chatbots in marketing remains sparse and scattered across disciplines. The present study combines morphological analysis and co-occurrence analysis to bring structure to this area and to identify relevant research gaps. Morphological analysis divides a problem into pertinent and clearly distinguishable components, namely dimensions (at an abstract level) and variants (at a concrete level). A Zwicky box (a cross-variant matrix of dimensions) is then constructed to identify future research opportunities. Here, the authors obtain 11 dimensions and 264 variants. To eliminate inconsistent configurations (i.e., combinations of variants across dimensions), they perform a cross-consistency assessment and identify potential research gaps. To increase objectivity in the selection of relevant gaps, the authors use VOSviewer software to conduct a co-occurrence analysis of the variants.

Purpose To address service failure issues, scholars have recognized several service recovery (SR) mechanisms. However, there exist many barriers that retard an effective SR process, and those often lead to negative consequences. Although this is a generic problem applicable across markets, it becomes critical in B2B markets, as they deal with high impact and corporate customers. The purpose of this paper is to identify these SR barriers in B2B markets and explore their linkages toward identifying the key driving barriers. Design/methodology/approach A four-phased methodology to address this call in the IT services industry was used. First, the identification phase led to the selection of 27 barriers based on literature. Second, in the prioritization phase, 12 salient barriers were prioritized with the help of an expert panel. Third, in the modelling phase, the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) technique was used to examine the mutual influences among these barriers toward modelling their linkages using a digraph. Finally, in the classification phase, these barriers were graphically plotted and classified into four quadrants based on their dependence and driving powers by using Matriced Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis. Findings Two strategic barriers, namely, technology obsolescence and poor top management commitment, presented the strongest challenges against effective SR, as they were least dependent on other barriers and exerted strong influence over the operational barriers to executing SR. Practical implications Because the strategic level barriers, exerting strong influence against effective SR, arise from the strategic choices of board and the C-suite, this paper helps them anticipate the recovery-related after effects of their choices, thus helping them in making better decisions. Originality/value This paper contributes to research as it is first of its kind to explore and link SR barriers in B2B markets.

The effect of workplace spirituality on salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours: research propositions and practical implications Vaibhav Chawla Article information:To cite this document: Vaibhav Chawla , (2014),"The effect of workplace spirituality on salespeople's organisational deviant behaviours: research propositions and practical implications"

Purpose Many sales organizations use traditional control systems such as agency theory, which entails motivating salespeople using rewards and punishments, as if they are mechanical beings that are devoid of emotions and spirit. Research shows that such control leads to dissatisfied customers, disengaged salespeople and poor organizational reputation. The purpose of this study is to present governance based on workplace spirituality as an alternative approach, wherein salespeople’s emotional and spiritual development is given primary importance. This is proposed to result in favorable performance and behaviors in alignment with organizational and customer goals. Design/methodology/approach The study builds a conceptual model from an extended literature review. Findings The developed conceptual model for workplace spirituality-based governance in sales organization consists of organizational structural factors, such as control and reward systems, as antecedents of psychological experiences of workplace spirituality in salespeople. These experiences are then proposed to result in salespeople’s increased customer orientation and objective performance, with organizational commitment as a mediator. Practical Implications The study has implications for organizations that govern salespeople by fiddling constantly with their salespeople’s incentive plans but find that most of these changes have little effect. The study proposes that companies will have more satisfied customers and successful salespeople, if they manage their salespeople’s emotional and spiritual side. Originality/value This study is the first to devise a governance system in selling organizations that is based on workplace spirituality.