Salesperson ambidexterity and customer satisfaction: examining the role of customer demandingness, adaptive selling, and role conflict

Abstract

This research investigates the effects of sales-service ambidexterity on salesperson role perceptions, behaviors, and customer satisfaction. Using a business-to-business, salesperson-customer sample, we build and test a model which highlights both the positive and negative consequences of this simultaneous goal pursuit. Specifically, while sales-service ambidexterity positively impacts adaptive selling behaviors, it also increases perceptions of role conflict among salespeople. Customer demandingness moderates these relationships. Taken together, the results provide insights for firms on how to manage their sales force to optimize both sales and service outcomes based on characteristics of their salespeople and customers.

Keywords:

• sales-service ambidexterity
• adaptive selling behavior
• role conflict
• customer satisfaction
• control theory
• resource allocation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. A review of the literature (Table 1) reveals different approaches to theorize and measure ambidexterity. In the current study, the terms ‘salesperson ambidexterity’ and ‘sales-service ambidexterity’ indicate the salesperson’s ambidextrous behavior involving cross-up selling and service provision (Jasmand, Blazevic, and de Ruyter 2012). This approach aligns with the literature where salesperson characteristics have been measured by capturing the actual behaviors that are reflective of those abilities (e.g. Ahearne et al. 2008; Brady and Cronin 2001).

Additional information

Funding

Funding for this research project came from the Sales Education Foundation (SEF)/Neil Rackham Annual Research Grant Award, 2014. We also acknowledge the financial support from the Ralph and Luci Schey Sales Centre Research Investment Program at Ohio University.