A systematic literature review of negative psychological states and behaviors in sales

In sales settings, negativity typically manifests in two forms. Negative psychological states (NpS), such as stress, burnout, and/or depression can result from sales activities. Negative sales behaviors are actions counter to the expected behaviors associated with the sales role. Both NpS and negative behaviors lead to reduced performance and disengaged employees. Yet, despite their importance, no single analysis of how these various negative topics are related exists. Thus, the present research utilizes the systematic literature review approach to investigate NpS and behaviors in sales settings. The present research contributes to the literature in four main ways, through: (1) explication of forty-nine salient constructs; (2) identification of NpS and behaviors construct roles in prior research; (3) systematic review of past research and trends; and (4) presenting a comprehensive set of future research opportunities.