Drivers of front‑line sales employees’ retention: interaction, motivation, and performance

Employee retention is a critical dimension of organisational sustainability, particularly in sales-intensive sectors where high turnover undermines competitiveness and long-term value creation.This study examines how intangible assets, specifically, the quality of buyer-seller interaction, intrinsic motivation, and sales performance, jointly shape the sustainability of human capital in the Indian banking sector.Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Identity Theory (SIT), the research develops and tests a behavioural framework linking relational dynamics, psychological fulfilment, and performance outcomes to employee retention.A crosssectional survey of 449 sales professionals in the Indian banking sector was analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM).Results confirm that effective buyer-seller interaction significantly improves sales employee performance and directly enhances retention, while performance partially mediates this relationship.Findings highlight that autonomy, competence, and relatedness, fostered by supportive interactions, translate into superior performance and a more substantial commitment.Furthermore, individual characteristics, organisational ecosystems, and social affiliation are identified as antecedents of effective interactions, reinforcing the role of intangible resources in sustaining workforce stability.The study contributes to sustainability and organisational behaviour literature by demonstrating how relational quality and motivational processes act as strategic intangible drivers of human capital retention.Practical implications suggest that managers should invest in autonomy-supportive leadership, recognition systems, and interpersonal skill development to enhance both sales effectiveness and long-term employee loyalty.By reframing retention as a sustainability issue, the research highlights how organisations can leverage social and psychological capital to achieve an enduring competitive advantage.