Abstract Customer-facing sales teams are increasingly managed through real-time dashboards, yet disengagement and turnover intentions are often blamed on “work ethic” or generational stereotypes. This integrative literature review uses self-determination theory to synthesize evidence on how performance coaching influences motivation, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions in high-pressure sales roles, with particular attention to early-career employees often labeled Generation Z. A systematic search and multistage screening process across major business and education databases informed a thematic synthesis organized around autonomy, competence, and interpersonal relatedness. The findings suggest that coaching is more likely to sustain effort when leaders preserve ownership within constraints, provide clear rationales for performance expectations, and avoid a purely compliance-driven tone. Coaching also appears more effective when feedback is translated into specific skill-building steps and near-term practice opportunities that make progress visible. The relational quality of coaching further shapes whether feedback is experienced as support or correction, which may influence commitment in metric-driven settings. This review advances the coaching and motivation literature by reframing “generational” concerns as a solvable need-support challenge embedded in day-to-day accountability practices. Practical implications emphasize bounded choice, development-focused follow-up, and respectful check-ins that maintain performance standards while supporting psychological needs.
Hart et al. (Sun,) studied this question.