The Duality of E-Monitoring: Harmful or Helpful?

Sales managers today can use information technology systems to monitor every step of the selling process, from tracking leads to closing. Managerial monitoring may harm some forms of motivation while encouraging still others. Working within the conceptual framework of self-determination theory this study tested for these effects. According to the industrial salespeople surveyed in this research effort, managerial monitoring has a positive effect on sales orientation. Salesperson’s motivation to work hard was also influenced by higher levels of perceived managerial e-monitoring. Salespeople perceive e-monitoring to serve more internal purposes such as achieving sales goals or increasing the level of their sales efforts. The harmful effects of e-monitoring, however, were not supported. This may suggest salespeople are less threatened by the technology that increases their visibility.