Sales force automation systems: an analyis of factors underpinning the sophistication of deployed systems in the UK financial services industry.

Wright, George; Fletcher, Keith; Donaldson, Bill; Lee, Jong-Ho

Abstract

This study investigates organizational and strategic context variables that are linked to the sophistication of sales force automation systems in UK financial services firms. We find that increasing sophistication in SFA deployment, evaluated as a count of the number of types of results of sales campaigns that are measured, is driven directly by the information orientation of the host firm. We also find that the "sophistication" of deployed systems is, in fact, limited - the information held on the systems cannot underpin the strategic goals of the sales/marketing managers. We theorise that adoption of SFA systems is driven by managerial imperatives and that these have resulted in sales force resistance - shown by the paucity of information held on adopted SFA systems.

Citation

WRIGHT, G., FLETCHER, K., DONALDSON, B. and LEE, J.-H. 2008. Sales force automation systems: an analyis of factors underpinning the sophistication of deployed systems in the UK financial services industry. Industrial marketing management [online], 37(8), pages 992-1004. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2007.08.005

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2008
• Online Publication Date: Nov 30, 2008
• Publication Date: Nov 30, 2008
• Deposit Date: Mar 29, 2011
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 29, 2011
• Journal: Industrial marketing management
• Print ISSN: 0019-8501
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-2062
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 992-1004
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2007.08.005
• Keywords: Salesforce automation systems; Financial services industry; System sophistication; Strategic information systems
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/570