On conceptualizing, measuring, and managing augmented technology use in business-to-business sales contexts

Business-to-business (B2B) salespeople use a portfolio of technology tools to augment their performance of tasks. Using data from two sales forces for large multi-national consumer goods firms, this study demonstrates that applying different measures of technology use. yields different estimates on returns, even for bivariate correlations among measures and constructs. Thus, given differences at a bivariate level, for the typically more complex multivariate model specifications of sales technology use, resulting parameter estimates can be misleading. Researchers can lower the resulting bias by appropriate alignments among. theory (conceptualization) and measurements. This research argues that a holistic measure of sales technology (ST) use (a whole) does not equate to the sum of different types of uses (intermediate measures such as using technology to access, analyze, and communicate information) or the sum of different technology tools (the individual parts). Findings. indicate that outcomes differ depending on how technology use is conceptualized and measured.