Resource gain or resource pain? How managerial social support resources influence the impact of sales anxiety on burnout

Abstract

There is growing recognition that many salespeople frequently experience anxiety, which may impact salesperson mental health and well-being. Unfortunately, there is little empirical evidence on how to manage this situation. Using a longitudinal sample of 156 business-to-business salespeople, the present study examines the impact of sales anxiety on the key mental health outcome of burnout, alongside providing recommendations to sales managers on how to manage this impact. The results suggest that sales anxiety is positively related to each individual component of burnout, and that positive supervisor feedback plays a mitigating role in each of these relationships. By contrast, however, a social climate of autonomy can strengthen the impact of sales anxiety on emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The present study contributes to the developing literature on salesperson mental health, further advancing emerging evidence that autonomy can result in detrimental outcomes. Implications, limitations, and future research avenues are discussed.