Division of sales activities and motivation in the Japanese software industry: the moderating effects of OBSE, customer orientation, and interdependence

Purpose Inside sales involves little customer contact and does not include tasks, such as proposing solutions or building long-term relationships with customers, which can lead to a decline in motivation of inside sales representatives. This study aims to address the issue by outlining the integrated mechanism via which perceptions of work design under division of labour shape motivation. Specifically, this study reveals the relationship between work design (job and knowledge characteristics) and motivation and identifies the moderating factors (individual traits and interdependence) that influence this relationship. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 311 sales representatives (221 men and 90 women, excluding managers) working in the Japanese software industry. Using the response data, the authors conduct a correlation analysis between the study variables. The authors use hierarchical multiple regression analysis to verify their analysis model, examining the moderating effects of individual traits and interdependence on the relationship between work design and work motivation in each sales activity. Findings Results show that when goal interdependence is high, low task identity reduces intrinsic motivation. However, when task interdependence is high, low task identity does not reduce motivation. Thus, task interdependence is an important context-dependent motivational factor in roles such as inside sales, which have a narrow scope. Originality/value Findings suggest that increasing task interdependence could suppress the attenuation of motivation arising from performing simple tasks. Academic research on sales positions specialising in such roles remains limited, and this study’s findings may be relevant to understanding motivation among sales personnel in regions outside Japan.