Technology Usage and Sales Teams : A Multilevel Analysis of the Antecedents of Usage

Extensive research has investigated the antecedents and impact of adoption of technology in the sales force. Interestingly, even though sales teams have proliferated, most research on adoption to date is at the individual level of analysis. Therefore, we conduct research of individual and team characteristics and their influence on technology adoption through a multilevel analysis of adoption. We use survey data from 673 salespeople at a pharmaceutical firm distributed among 224 sales teams who reported to 122 external managers. Our results validate the importance of investigating relationships at multiple levels. Specific effects from individual experience, which is important within the typical individual analysis, did not have an impact within our study. Instead, the average experience of the team was a stronger antecedent to adoption within a sales team. The strong effect of peer usage of technology within a team compels us to recommend that managers create teams that include users with strong computer self-efficacy in order to accelerate adoption by those less inclined to adopt. Also, team adoption was strengthened by sales teams who accepted the goals of committed management. However, both empowerment of teams by management and team potency had a significant negative effect on adoption