1 s2.0 S0019850122000256 Main

Industrial Marketing Management 102 (2022) 324–337
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Industrial Marketing Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/indmarman
The sales-marketing interface: A systematic literature review and directions

for future research
Wim Biemans a, *, Avinash Malshe b, Jeff S. Johnson c
a
Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700, AV, Groningen, the Netherlands
b
Opus College of Business, University of St Thomas, Mail #TMH443, 1000 LaSalle Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403, United States of America
c
Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 5110 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, United States of America
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Keywords: How sales and marketing come together in the pursuit of satisfying customers and achieving organizational
Sales-marketing interface objectives is of key concern to both academics and practitioners. Researchers have investigated many aspects of
Intra-organizational dynamics the sales-marketing interface (SMI). This paper provides a systematic literature review of the SMI domain. Based
Cross-functional interaction
on a systematic assessment of more than 25 years of SMI research, the authors review the major themes discussed
Conceptual
Research agenda
in the literature, identify and resolve inconsistencies and definitional ambiguities, and develop a comprehensive
conceptual model that integrates and synthesizes the current body of knowledge about SMIs. In addition, they
identify four directions for future research that will have a major impact on our understanding of the functioning
and nature of SMIs: (1) the impact of digital technologies on SMIs, (2) the impact of national culture on SMIs, (3)
SMIs in SMEs, and (4) the impact of changing roles of sales and marketing.
1. Introduction with marketing, participate in development of marketing strategy

(Gonzalez & Claro, 2019; Gordon, Schoenbachler, Kaminski, & Brou
In the traditional perspective on marketing and sales, both de chous, 1997; Judson, Schoenbachler, Gordon, Ridnour, & Weilbaker,
partments serve customers by performing complementary activities 2006; Malshe & Sohi, 2009b) and implement the strategy in the field
(Malshe & Biemans, 2014a; Matthyssens & Johnston, 2006). Marketing thereby helping firms deliver superior customer value (Blocker, Cannon,
primarily focuses on understanding markets and customers, devising Panagopoulos, & Sager, 2012; Haas, Snehota, & Corsaro, 2012).
compelling value propositions, developing marketing strategies for While these activities emphasize the need for close collaboration
creating superior customer value, and providing sales support, and sales between sales and marketing, both departments have their own agendas
is entrusted with tasks such as executing marketing strategies, main and different perspectives often generate tensions between the two
taining customer relationships, and closing the sale (Homburg, groups (Beverland, Steel, & Dapiran, 2006; Dawes & Massey, 2005;
Workman Jr, & Krohmer, 1999; Rouziès et al., 2005). The creation of Dewsnap & Jobber, 2002). In B2B firms “Marketing people talk to …
superior customer value is regarded as fundamental to a firm’s long- business end-users, while salespeople typically spend their time with
term survival and growth in business-to-business (B2B) markets (Alm distributors and purchasing agents. Marketers deal with market seg
quist, Cleghorn, & Sherer, 2018; Anderson & Narus, 1998; Terho, Haas, ments and specific product groups. Sales, however, sees the world ac
Eggert, & Ulaga, 2012). count by account” (Donath, 2004, p. 5). As a result, the sales-marketing
To this effect, a firm’s marketing and sales departments must interface (SMI) is frequently characterized by miscommunication, con
collaborate to understand customers (Hult, Morgeson, Morgan, Mithas, flict, and resentment, and senior managers “often describe the working
& Fornell, 2017), and develop and implement effective marketing relationship between Sales and Marketing as unsatisfactory”, concluding
strategies (Morgan, Whitler, Feng, & Chari, 2019) so the firm is able to that these functions “undercommunicate, underperform, and over
deliver superior value to customers (Guenzi & Troilo, 2007; Hughes, Le complain” (Kotler, Rackham, & Krishnaswamy, 2006, p. 78). An inef
Bon, & Malshe, 2012). For example, through their daily interactions fective SMI decreases a firm’s performance through salespeople
with customers, salespeople may collect market intelligence, share it rejecting qualified leads, below-average conversion rates within the
Abbreviations: SMI, sales-marketing interface.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: w.g.biemans@rug.nl (W. Biemans), amalshe@stthomas.edu (A. Malshe), johnsonjs@umkc.edu (J.S. Johnson).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2022.02.001
Received 4 June 2021; Received in revised form 28 January 2022; Accepted 2 February 2022
Available online 15 February 2022
0019-8501/© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
W. Biemans et al. Industrial Marketing Management 102 (2022) 324–337
sales funnel, and poor efforts to generate demand, capture revenue, and over time, includes all seminal articles on the SMI (Lyngdoh et al.,
gain a competitive advantage (Hobbs, 2015; Sabnis, Chatterjee, Grewal, 2021), and is similar to the time frame used by other review articles in
& Lilien, 2013). An ineffective SMI at a typical $1 billion B2B firm has the domain of sales management (Bolander et al., 2021; Lyngdoh et al.,
been estimated to cost $14 million in sales and marketing expenses and 2021; Williams & Plouffe, 2007).
$100 million in lost revenue opportunity (Gerard, 2013). We used multiple approaches to identify relevant articles for our
Even though the SMI, as a critical organizational interface, has systematic literature review. First, we conducted a manual search of the
received increasing attention from scholars, the growing literature on major marketing and sales journals that we identified, based on the
sales-marketing interface lacks a systematic review. While the findings research team’s prior research in the SMI domain, as the most likely
from published studies provide a wealth of insight, it is not always clear outlets for research about the SMI. To keep our search manageable, we
how these findings are related and build off one another. It is a common identified a list of six journals that publish regularly about marketing
practice, after a domain has evolved over a period of 20–30 years, to and sales (Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing
conduct a systematic literature review that assesses, analyzes, and syn Science, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business and Indus
thesizes the current state of knowledge (Bolander, Chaker, Pappas, & trial Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Personal
Bradbury, 2021; Lyngdoh, Chefor, Hochstein, Britton, & Amyx, 2021; Selling & Sales Management) and manually examined article titles, ab
Williams & Plouffe, 2007). stracts, keywords, and conceptual frameworks to identify relevant arti
With this article we fill this void within the SMI domain by con cles. This search resulted in a list of articles that is representative of the
ducting a systematic review of the extant SMI literature. We contribute main body of research in this domain.
to this literature stream in four major ways. First, we identify 73 articles Second, to complement our initial list with articles published in other
about the SMI and provide an overview of the current state of knowledge journals, we conducted a broad article search in online databases,
about SMIs: how SMI research is usually conducted, how the field including EBSCO’s Business Source Complete, ScienceDirect, and Goo
evolved, the main topics that have been addressed and the key insights gle Scholar, using many variations of SMI-related terms to maximize our
from the extant literature. Second, we identify several inconsistencies reach, such as “sales-marketing interface”, “sales-marketing integra
and definitional ambiguities across studies and resolve them by devel tion”, “sales-marketing collaboration”, “sales-marketing alignment”,
oping a definition of the SMI that is grounded in the extant SMI litera and “sales and marketing”. Third, we expanded our article search by
ture. Third, we present a conceptual model that integrates and using forward- and backward-looking reference searches (Johnson &
synthesizes the extant SMI knowledge and serves to explain how the key Jaramillo, 2017). For example, we identified SMI-related scale devel
concepts and variables from existing studies are related to each other. opment articles and explored other articles that subsequently cited these
Fourth, we identify gaps in the SMI literature, which are then used to articles. In addition, we analyzed articles that provided some aggrega
derive several promising directions for future research that will help tion of the SMI domain (e.g., Rouziès et al., 2005) to suggest potential
advance our understanding of SMIs. In the next section, we start by articles for our review.
describing how we conducted our systematic literature review.
2.2. Inclusion criteria
2. Research method: systematic literature review
All identified candidate articles for our review were evaluated based
We studied the scholarly body of knowledge about the SMI by con on two inclusion criteria. First, articles needed to focus on the interac
ducting a systematic literature review – following a similar process as tion or relationship between a firm’s sales and marketing functions.
suggested by Bolander et al. (2021), Lyngdoh et al. (2021), and Tran Articles that focused on only sales or marketing or their interfaces with
field, Denyer, and Smart (2003) – which is a “rigorous and transparent other parts of the organization (e.g., operations or R&D) were excluded.
approach of the review process that enhances replicability” (Bolander Second, articles had to be published in peer-reviewed academic journals,
et al., 2021, p. 468). We began our systematic literature review with a thus eliminating “articles from such outlets as, trade journals, confer
discussion amongst the research team members to clarify the focus of ence proceedings, book chapters, editorials, extended abstracts, maga
our inquiry (Nguyen, de Leeuw, & Dullaert, 2018). We agreed that our zines, and newspapers” (Lyngdoh et al., 2021, p. 520). We also excluded
goal was to provide a “critical evaluation of material that has already dissertations from our literature search because of potential variations in
been published” (Bem, 1995, p. 172) about SMIs. More specifically, the quality of research that has yet to undergo the rigors of a blind, peer
objectives of our systematic literature review are to provide an overview review process. Since the SMI is a relatively young domain and we
of the current state of knowledge within the domain, resolve in wanted to assess how it evolved, we did not limit our search to high
consistencies and definitional ambiguities across extant studies, develop impact peer-reviewed journals only. Further, we decided to include two
a conceptual model to integrate and synthesize extant knowledge, articles from non peer-reviewed journals because of their significant
highlight gaps in the body of extant research, and suggest avenues for impact on the domain: one early study about the need for coordination
future research that may help fill these gaps (Hulland & Houston, 2020; between sales and marketing (Cespedes, 1994) and a seminal article
Palmatier, Houston, & Hulland, 2018). about the war between marketing and sales (Kotler et al., 2006). While
the emphasis of our literature review is on empirical studies, we also
2.1. Search procedure included a few conceptual articles that present conceptual frameworks
detailing hypothesized relationships between key variables (e.g. Dew
We limited the scope of our systematic review of the extant body of snap & Jobber, 2000).
published research on SMIs to academic articles published during the All initial articles were scrutinized by members of the research team
years 1990–2021. We started our systematic search for relevant articles to ascertain whether they might be appropriate for our literature review.
in 1990 because the first publications that explicitly discuss the rela For all potential candidates, the research team conducted a full-text
tionship between sales and marketing appeared in the early 1990s. Ar examination to determine the ultimate status of the articles. Only a
ticles published before 1990 typically imply the relationship between few ambiguous cases were discussed by the research team and included
sales and marketing without explicitly discussing the interface between or excluded depending on group consensus. This systematic search
the two functions. For example, scholars have discussed how industrial resulted in a final set of 73 articles that discuss the interface between
salespeople may collect market intelligence (Grace & Pointon, 1980; sales and marketing functions and were considered appropriate for our
Moss, 1979) without focusing on the role of the SMI in collecting, study.
disseminating and using market information. Our selected time span of
1990–2021 has a sufficient range to study how SMI research has evolved
325
2.3. Article coding States/North America, Europe and Australia (Biemans et al., 2010;
Dawes & Massey, 2005; Guenzi & Troilo, 2007; Matthyssens & John
The three members of the research team, all with extensive knowl ston, 2006). However, more recent studies (12.3% of the articles) have
edge of the SMI domain, reviewed and coded all 73 articles’ firm size, explored SMIs in non-Western countries like Brazil and Saudi Arabia
products or services foci, geographical scope, theoretical grounding, (Enyinda, Opute, Fadahunsi, & Mbah, 2020; Johnson & Boeing, 2016;
methodology, and topical focus of the paper (see Table 1). We selected Malshe & Al-Khatib, 2017; Malshe, Johnson, & Viio, 2017). It is note
these article attributes because they are the key characteristics that (a) worthy that as of today there are no studies that investigate SMIs in fast-
vary across SMI studies and therefore offer an opportunity to investigate growing countries like China or India.
SMIs under diverse conditions, (b) have been suggested in the SMI Fourth, although only 30.1% of the articles explicitly mention the
literature as relevant factors that impact SMI functioning, and/or (c) theory used, more recent studies increasingly mention their theoretical
were expected to result in interesting insights into how the SMI research grounding. The most commonly mentioned theories are social identity,
domain evolved. For example, researchers have suggested firm size and exchange, network, and interdependence theory.
geographical scope as important factors impacting the SMI (Biemans, Fifth, while the majority of the articles use either a qualitative
Makovec Brenčič, & Malshe, 2010; Johnson & Boeing, 2016; Malshe & research method (mostly interviews; 45.2%) or a survey (38.4%), our
Al-Khatib, 2017). Further, methodology and topical focus were expected analysis indicates the SMI domain did not evolve according to the
to uncover insights into how the nature of the research questions and the familiar pattern of initial studies using qualitative research methods to
research methods used to investigate them changed over time. explore the phenomenon, followed by quantitative research testing hy
All three members of the research team agreed on and defined the potheses between key variables. Indeed, early researchers used surveys
key characteristics, and then reviewed and coded all 73 articles. to test thought-world differences between sales and marketing and the
Following established procedures to assess coding reliability, we effects of conflict and trust (Cross, Hartley, Rudelius, & Vassey, 2001;
calculated inter-rater reliability (IRR) for all key dimensions of the 73 Strahle, Spiro, & Acito, 1996), while more recently scholars used qual
articles, which measures the absolute consensus in scores furnished by itative methods to explore new topics such as sales-to-marketing job
multiple judges (Gisev, Bell, & Chen, 2013; LeBreton & Senter, 2008). transitions (Johnson & Matthes, 2018) and the effects of digital trans
The final IRRs varied from 93.6% for the article’s focus and firm size formation on sales-marketing collaboration (Hauer, Naumann, & Harte,
classification, to 95.4% for method use, to 100% for the rather objective 2021). The frequent occurrence of relatively isolated studies seems to
dimensions (e.g., geography, theory use yes/no, and whether the focus suggest that the SMI research domain can be characterized as a “subject
was products or services). All ambiguous coding were discussed and specialty” – i.e. a set of scientists engaging in research along similar lines
resolved by the research team. – rather than an “invisible college”, which is more cohesive and has a
few top-cited authors that perform bridging roles in a reasonably dense
3. Findings network of informal relations (Teixeira, 2011; Zuccala, 2006).
Sixth, almost half of the articles focus on sales-marketing interactions
Our findings address the following key questions: (1) How has SMI and perceptions (49.3%), while only a few studies’ primary foci are the
research been conducted? (2) What are the major themes within the SMI impact of factors such as business context and firm characteristics on
literature?, and (3) How can we resolve inconsistencies and integrate the SMIs (8.2%). Deeper analysis shows that SMI research seems to be
findings from extant SMI research? moving away from merely examining SMI dynamics to exploring new
factors impacting the SMI – such as organizational justice and national
3.1. How has SMI research been conducted? culture (Hulland, Nenkov, & Barclay, 2012; Johnson & Boeing, 2016; Le
Meunier-FitzHugh, Cometto, & Johnson, 2021) – and the effects of the
The majority of SMI studies to date have been published in a limited SMI on key business processes, such as value creation and innovation
set of journals (i.e., 72% of the articles were published in seven jour (Hughes et al., 2012; Keszey & Biemans, 2016; Malshe & Biemans,
nals); with Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management (17%) and 2014b).
Industrial Marketing Management (15%) being the most prominent jour
nals. Our review of the SMI literature uncovered interesting insights 3.2. What are the major themes within the SMI literature?
regarding how SMI research has been carried out and how this changed
over time. First, early SMI studies typically focus on relatively large, As an outcome of our systematic review of the SMI literature, we
established firms with separate marketing and sales departments. For identified the major topics that have been studied by grouping the 73
example, when Massey and Dawes (2007b) investigated sales-marketing articles into a limited number of categories. While it was not possible to
exchanges, they noted that “the primary selection criterion for a firm’s assign all articles unequivocally to a single category, an iterative process
inclusion was that it must have a separate and identifiable Marketing of discovery resulted in five major themes: (1) different roles of sales and
Manager … plus a Sales Manager” (p. 1123). Similarly, in selecting SBUs marketing, (2) interactions and perceptions between sales and market
for their study of sales-marketing configurations, Homburg, Jensen, and ing personnel, (3) structure of the SMI, (4) effects of the SMI, and (5)
Krohmer (2008) “verified that the SBU had both a marketing and a sales factors impacting the SMI and its effects (Table 2).
subunit”. Later SMI researchers tend to broaden their samples to include
firms of various sizes – 31.5% of the articles use a sample that includes 3.2.1. Different roles of sales and marketing
firms of mixed sizes – with a few studies explicitly discussing SMIs in Early SMI studies emphasize that marketing and sales perform
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (Biemans et al., 2010; Gabor complementary tasks and that the sequential activities of product
et al., 2019). managers and the field sales force require sales-marketing coordination
Second, the majority of articles (87.7%) studied SMIs of product (Cespedes, 1993, 1994). SMI researchers were quick to observe that the
manufacturers or included both product manufacturers and service different roles of sales and marketing often result in a disharmonious
providers in their sample. Only one study focused exclusively on service relationship (Cespedes, 1996; Kotler et al., 2006; Strahle et al., 1996).
providers (Gonzalez & Claro, 2019). The lack of studies about SMIs in According to these scholars, the primary reason for disharmonious SMIs
service firms is remarkable, considering that customers often participate are the thought-world differences between the two functions that
in the delivery and co-creation of services (Aarikka-Stenroos & Jaak represent pervasive subcultures (Beverland et al., 2006; Cespedes, 1996;
kola, 2012; Gustafsson, Kristensson, & Witell, 2012), which will impact Homburg & Jensen, 2007).
the SMI. These differences often result in communication problems between
Third, SMI studies have traditionally been conducted in the United marketing and sales, which in turn contribute to a lack of trust and
326
Table 1
SMI research.
Authors (year) – Journala Firm size (large or Product/service Geographyd Theory Methodologyf Focus of the paperg
SME)b focusc usede
Cespedes (1993) – JCM Large Product Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Cespedes (1994) – SMR Large Both Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Strahle et al. (1996) – JPSSM Large Product United States No Survey SMI orientations and
influence
Workman Jr. et al. (1998) – JM Mixed Product United States and Germany No Qualitative SMI structure
Dewsnap and Jobber (2000) – Not specified Product Not specified No Other SMI structure
JPSSM
Cross et al. (2001) – JPSSM Mixed Both United States No Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Dewsnap and Jobber (2002) – EJM Not specified Product Not specified Yes Other Interactions and
perceptions
Dawes and Massey (2005) – EJM Large Both United Kingdom and Australia Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Rouziès et al. (2005) – JPSSM Not specified Not specified Not specified No Other Interactions and
perceptions
Beverland et al. (2006) – JBIM Large Both Australia and New Zealand No Qualitative SMI orientations and
influence
Dawes and Massey (2006) – JBIM Large Both United Kingdom and Australia Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Guenzi and Troilo (2006) – IMM Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Kotler et al. (2006) – HBR Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Matthyssens and Johnston (2006) – Not specified Both Belgium No Qualitative Interactions and
JBIM perceptions
Oliva (2006) – JBIM Not specified Not specified Not specified No Qualitative SMI structure
Smith et al. (2006) – JMR Large Product United States No Other Interactions and
perceptions
Biemans and Makovec Brenčič Mixed Product Netherlands and Slovenia No Qualitative SMI orientations and
(2007) – EJM influence
Guenzi and Troilo (2007) – JBR Mixed Both Italy No Other SMI effects
Homburg and Jensen (2007) – JM Large Both Europe Yes Survey SMI orientations and
influence
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Mixed Product United Kingdom No Survey Interactions and
(2007a) – JPSSM perceptions
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Large Product United Kingdom No Qualitative Interactions and
(2007b) – EJM perceptions
Massey and Dawes (2007a) – EJM Large Both Australia Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Massey and Dawes (2007b) – IMM Large Both Australia Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Authors (year) – Journal Firm size (large or Product/service Geography Theory Methodology Focus of the paper
SME) focus used
Homburg et al. (2008) – JM Large Both Germany No Survey SMI structure
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Mixed Not specified United Kingdom No Survey SMI structure
(2008) – JGM
Dewsnap and Jobber (2009) – EJM Not specified Product United Kingdom Yes Qualitative SMI structure
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Lane Mixed Both United Kingdom No Survey Interactions and
(2009) – JSM perceptions
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Mixed Both United Kingdom No Survey Interactions and
(2009) – JMM perceptions
Malshe (2009) – JSM Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative SMI orientations and
influence
Malshe and Sohi (2009a) – JPSSM Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative SMI effects
Malshe and Sohi (2009b) – JAMS Mixed Both Not specified No Qualitative SMI effects
Troilo et al. (2009) – IMM Not specified Both Europe No Survey SMI orientations and
influence
Biemans et al. (2010) – IMM Mixed Both Slovenia, Netherlands, United No Qualitative SMI orientations and
States influence
Ernst et al. (2010) – JM Large Product Germany Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Large Product United Kingdom No Qualitative Interactions and
(2010) – EBR perceptions
Malshe (2010) – JBR Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Le Meunier-FitzHugh et al. (2011) – Mixed Both United Kingdom No Survey Interactions and
IMM perceptions
Le Meunier-FitzHugh and Piercy Mixed Product United Kingdom No Survey Interactions and
(2011) – JPSSM perceptions
Malshe (2011) – JBIM Not specified Product United States No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
(continued on next page)
327
Table 1 (continued )
Authors (year) – Journala Firm size (large or Product/service Geographyd Theory Methodologyf Focus of the paperg
SME)b focusc usede
Hughes et al. (2012) – JPSSM Large Both United States No Qualitative SMI orientations and
influence
Hulland et al. (2012) – JAMS Large Product North America Yes Survey Firm characteristics
Malshe et al. (2012) – JBR Large Both Saudi Arabia No Qualitative Business context
Malshe et al. (2012) – JSM Large Both Saudi Arabia No Qualitative Business context
Sabnis et al. (2013) – JM Large Product United States Yes Survey SMI orientations and
influence
Arnett and Wittmann (2014) – JBR Mixed Not specified Not specified No Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Krush et al. (2014) – JS Mixed Both United States No Qualitative SMI orientations and
influence
Malshe and Biemans (2014b) – JPIM Large Product United States No Qualitative SMI effects
Authors (year) – Journal Firm size (large or Product/service Geography Theory Methodology Focus of the paper
SME) focus used
Rouziès and Hulland (2014) – JAMS Not specified Product North America Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Peterson et al. (2015) – JS Not specified Both United States, Canada, Australia, No Survey SMI effects
Germany, UK
Johnson and Boeing (2016) – JPSSM Large Both Brazil No Qualitative Business context
Keszey and Biemans (2016) – JBR Mixed Both Hungary No Survey SMI effects
Keszey & Biemans (2017) – JBIM Mixed Both Hungary Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Malshe et al. (2017) – IMM Mixed Both Saudi Arabia No Qualitative SMI orientations and
influence
Malshe and Al-Khatib (2017) – Mixed Both Saudi Arabia No Qualitative Interactions and
JPSSM perceptions
Malshe et al. (2017) – IMM Mixed Both Saudi Arabia No Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Claro & Ramos (2018) – JPSSM Not specified Product Not specified Yes Other Interactions and
perceptions
Johnson and Matthes (2018) – JM Not specified Both Not specified No Qualitative SMI structure
Sleep et al. (2018) –JPSSM Not specified Product North America Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Banerjee and Bhardwaj (2019) – JBR Not specified Not specified Not specified Yes Other SMI orientations and
influence
Gabor et al. (2019) – JIEM SME Product Europe No Other SMI orientations and
influence
Gonzalez and Claro (2019) – JAMS Large Service United States and UK Yes Other SMI structure
Johnson et al. (2019) – IMM Large Both Not specified No Qualitative SMI structure
Kelemen-Erdős and Molnár (2019) – Not specified Not specified Not specified No Qualitative Interactions and
EC perceptions
Le Meunier-Fitzhugh and Massey Mixed Product United Kingdom No Survey SMI structure
(2019) – JMM
Dewsnap et al. (2020) – IMM Mixed Both Not specified Yes Qualitative SMI structure
Enyinda et al. (2020) – JBIM Not specified Product Africa and the Middle East No Other Interactions and
perceptions
Hetényi (2020) - IJEMS Not specified Not specified Europe No Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Malshe and Krush (2020) – JBIM Mixed Both Not specified Yes Qualitative Interactions and
perceptions
Vaid et al. (2020) - IMM Not specified Both United States Yes Other SMI structure
Arnett et al. (2021) – IMM Mixed Not specified United States Yes Survey Interactions and
perceptions
Enyinda et al. (2021) - TIBR Not specified Product Africa and the Middle East Yes Other Interactions and
perceptions
Hauer et al. (2021) - INMR Not specified Product Germany No Qualitative Business context
Le Meunier-FitzHugh et al. (2021) - Large Product Latin America Yes Survey Business context
TIBR
a
EBR = European Business Review; EC = Economics and Culture; EJM = European Journal of Marketing; HBR = Harvard Business Review; IJEMS=International Journal of
Engineering and Management Sciences; IMM = Industrial Marketing Management; IMR = Innovation & Management Review; INMR = Innovation and Management Review;
JAMS = Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science; JBIM = Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing; JBR = Journal of Business Research; JCM = Journal of Consumer
Marketing; JGM = Journal of General Management; JIEM = Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management; JM = Journal of Marketing; JMM = Journal of Marketing
Management; JMR = Journal of Marketing Research; JPIM = Journal of Product Innovation Management; JPSSM = Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management; JS =
Journal of Selling; JSM = Journal of Strategic Marketing; SMR = Sloan Management Review; TIBR = Thunderbird International Business Review.
b
To assess whether the article focused on large companies, SMEs, or a mix of both, we used the established definition of SMEs as companies with firm sizes less than
250 people and revenue less than $50 million. Instances where a very small percent of SMEs existed, but the rest were large firms, were coded large, those with a very
small percent of large firms, but the rest SMEs, were coded SMEs.
c
Articles were coded to assess if they focused on products, services, or a combination of both.
d
Geographic context was straightforward in that it was either indicated or not specified by the authors.
e
The theory designation was based upon whether the author(s) explicitly referenced a specific theory as the basis for their research. No subjective judgements as to
the extent of theoretical inclusion were made by the research team.
328
f
Method was mostly straightforward with the vast majority of manuscripts fitting into qualitative, survey, or other categorizations. However, for a few articles the
method was unclear (e.g., social network analysis, analytical hierarchy process model). Subsequent to discussion by the research team, these manuscripts were
assigned the “other” designation.
g
Paper focus was by far the most subjective coding category and required extensive definitions and discussions prior to coding by the research team. The seven
categorizations from our SMI framework (business context, firm characteristics, individual characteristics, SMI design, SMI orientations and influence, SMI interactions
and perceptions, and SMI effects) were used by the research team. While most papers contained more than one part of the research framework, the research team
selected the category that best represented the paper. Overall, codings were relatively consistent with some notable exceptions. For example, articles that discussed
how SMI interactions and perceptions manifested in different nations (e.g., Brazil, Saudi Arabia) were coded both as “Interactions and perceptions” and “Impacting
factors (national culture)” by different coders. Upon discussion, the research team noted that the primary contribution of these manuscripts is their contrasting of the
SMI between nations and thus the “Impacting factors” designation was ultimately selected.
resentment (Strahle et al., 1996). Beverland et al. (2006) argue that & Dawes, 2007a, 2007b). The quality of communication and amount of
different orientations drive sales and marketing apart and identify four trust between sales and marketing were also found to enhance mutual
cultural frames that hinder closer interaction between sales and mar understanding and tacit knowledge exchange between the two de
keting: (1) scope and focus of activity, (2) time horizon, (3) sources of partments (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014; Arnett, Wittmann, & Hansen,
knowledge, and (4) relationship to the environment. Similarly, Hom 2021).
burg and Jensen (2007) found significant differences between the
thought-worlds of sales and marketing: sales tends to use a short-term 3.2.3. Sales-marketing structure
orientation toward customers, whereas marketing is inclined to use a Firms use a range of structural configurations to organize their
long-term orientation toward products. marketing and sales functions (Vaid, Ahearne, & Krause, 2020;
In addition, sales and marketing differ in their relative amount of Workman Jr. et al., 1998). Dewsnap and Jobber (2000) developed a
influence on key decision-making processes. SMI researchers have conceptual model of the SMI and suggest that sales-marketing integra
studied the relative influence of sales versus marketing by investigating tion is influenced by structural characteristics, such as formalization,
the effects of variables such as the cross-functional dispersion of mar centralization, and physical proximity. Firms may use a range of inte
keting activities (Harris & Ogbonna, 2003; Workman Jr., Homburg, & grative mechanisms that encourage cross-pollination between sales and
Gruner, 1998), relative power (Dawes & Massey, 2006), resource flex marketing (Le Meunier-Fitzhugh & Massey, 2019), such as cross-
ibility (Dewsnap, Micevski, Cadogan, & Kadic-Maglajlic, 2020), reward functional teams (Dawes & Massey, 2005; Rouziès et al., 2005), cross-
alignment (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014; Sleep, functional training (Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2009), job rota
Lam, & Hulland, 2018), and sales-marketing encroachment (Keszey & tion (Johnson & Matthes, 2018), and liaison employees that function as
Biemans, 2016). For example, Troilo, De Luca, and Guenzi (2009) found integrators between both departments (Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy,
that dispersion of influence between sales and marketing increases 2007b; Rouziès et al., 2005).
collaboration between the two functions, without blurring their Several researchers have taken a more integral perspective and
respective goals. investigated different sales-marketing configurations (Homburg et al.,
2008). Kotler et al. (2006) identify four structural sales-marketing
3.2.2. Interactions and perceptions configurations: undefined (working independently from each other),
Inspired by these disharmonious SMIs, several researchers delved defined (using processes and rules to prevent disputes), aligned (joint
deeper into what occurs within the relationship between sales and planning), and integrated (blurred boundaries). Others found similar
marketing. Matthyssens and Johnston (2006) identify interaction areas stages, but also include small firms that are too small to have a separate
during the marketing and sales management processes, while others marketing department (Biemans et al., 2010; Biemans & Makovec
describe more abstract linkages between both departments (Malshe, Brenčič, 2007). They argue that a firm’s SMI configuration may evolve
2011; Oliva, 2006). Other researchers focus on how sales and marketing with a firm’s life cycle, growth and scope of operations, and that a firm’s
personnel interact and how these interactions affect how members of ideal configuration depends on a firm’s characteristics and its current
both departments perceive themselves, each other, and the effectiveness circumstances.
of their relationship. Generally, an effective SMI is characterized by
positive attitudes, friendliness to the out-group, and absence of bias 3.2.4. Effects of the sales-marketing interface
toward the in-group (Dewsnap & Jobber, 2002). Rouziès and Hulland Early SMI researchers investigated the impact of sales-marketing
(2014) measure the perceptions of sales and marketing personnel using interactions and perceptions on SMI effectiveness (Dawes & Massey,
the social capital construct, which encompasses tie strength, trust, 2006; Dewsnap & Jobber, 2002; Hulland, Nenkov, & Barclay, 2012),
cooperation and shared vision. Other variables used to capture the which is typically interpreted as the quality of cooperation between sales
perceptions of sales and marketing employees include role clarity and marketing (Homburg et al., 2008). For example, Massey and Dawes
(Malshe, 2009; Troilo et al., 2009), personal rapport (Johnson & Boeing, (2007a) define “perceived sales-marketing relationship effectiveness” in
2016; Malshe & Biemans, 2014a), cohesion (Rouziès & Hulland, 2014), terms of how worthwhile, equitable, productive and satisfying the
shared vision (Beverland et al., 2006), credibility (Malshe, 2010; Malshe marketing manager perceived his/her working relationship with the
& Sohi, 2009a), interpersonal trust (Massey & Dawes, 2007a), and sales manager. A few studies explore the effects of marketing-sales
functional and dysfunctional conflict (Dawes & Massey, 2005; Malshe alignment on employee satisfaction and motivation and show, for
et al., 2017). example, that misaligned goals and compensation strategies reduce
Several studies emphasize the key role of communication, in terms of commitment to the organization (Guenzi & Troilo, 2006; Ritz, Steward,
communication frequency, bidirectionality and quality, in enhancing Morgan, & Hair, 2018). SMI researchers also explored the effects of the
trust and reducing conflict between sales and marketing (Dawes & SMI on business performance, which includes metrics such as revenue,
Massey, 2005; Enyinda, Enyinda, Mbah, & Ogbuehi, 2021; Le Meunier- market share, profit, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and
FitzHugh & Piercy, 2009, 2010; Massey & Dawes, 2007b). For example, customer retention (Homburg et al., 2008; Homburg & Jensen, 2007; Le
bidirectional communication and communication quality were found to Meunier-FitzHugh & Lane, 2009; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2007b,
reduce dysfunctional conflict and increase functional conflict (Massey & 2008, 2009, 2011; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014).
Dawes, 2007b). Other studies point out the effects of cognition-based While many studies hypothesize a direct effect of the SMI on various
and affect-based trust on both functional and dysfunctional conflict outcome metrics related to the SMI or business performance, several
between sales and marketing personnel (Dawes & Massey, 2006; Massey researchers have started to investigate the underlying mechanisms by
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Table 2 Table 2 (continued )

SMI research themes. SMI topics Key articles Key insights
SMI topics Key articles Key insights
Piercy (2010), Malshe including market dynamics
Roles of sales and Beverland et al. (2006), • Different roles of sales and et al. (2012) and national culture
marketing Homburg and Jensen marketing are accompanied • Firm characteristics, such as
(2007), Strahle et al. by different orientations, firm size, management
(1996), Troilo et al. which generally have a support, and information
(2009) negative impact on sales- systems, affect the nature and
marketing collaboration and efficacy of the SMI
firm performance • Individual characteristics
• The different orientations of including level of education
sales and marketing tend to and previous work
be quite pervasive and experience shape sales-
expressed as subcultures that marketing interactions and
influence interactions perceptions
between the two departments
• Firms may increase/reduce
these role differences by exploring the role and impact of the SMI on a firm’s core processes, such
changing the relative as value creation (Guenzi & Troilo, 2006; Hughes et al., 2012; Krush,
influence of each department
Malshe, Al-Khatib, Al-Jomaih, & Katoua, 2014), innovation (Ernst,
• General trends (such as sales
organizations becoming more Hoyer, & Rübsaamen, 2010; Keszey & Biemans, 2016; La Rocca,
strategic) also impact each Moscatelli, Perna, & Snehota, 2016; Malshe & Biemans, 2014b), and
department’s role and strategy development and implementation (Malshe, 2010; Malshe &
influence Sohi, 2009a, 2009b). For example, studies by Guenzi and Troilo (2007)
Sales-marketing Dawes and Massey (2005), • Sales and marketing interact
interactions and Le Meunier-FitzHugh and during all stages of the
and Troilo et al. (2009) show that effective sales-marketing relations
perceptions Piercy (2009, 2010), marketing and sales have a positive impact on the firm’s creation of superior customer value,
Malshe et al. (2017), management processes which improves market performance in terms of relative sales growth,
Massey and Dawes (2007a, • Communication (frequency, market share and profitability.
2007b), Matthyssens and bidirectionality) is key in
Johnston (2006) creating interpersonal trust
and reducing conflict 3.2.5. Factors impacting the sales-marketing interface
• Harmonious interaction is not SMI researchers have investigated a wide range of factors that may
always required; conflict can impact the SMI and its effects, which can be grouped into variables
be both functional and related to the firm’s business context, firm characteristics, and individ
dysfunctional
• Sales-marketing perceptions
ual characteristics. Suggested relevant aspects of the firm’s business
are expressed as cohesion, context include market dynamics (Cespedes, 1994; Homburg et al.,
trust, personal rapport, 2008), and national culture (Biemans et al., 2010; Johnson & Boeing,
conflict, and shared vision 2016; Malshe & Al-Khatib, 2017; Malshe, Al-Khatib, Al-Habib, & Ezzi,
Sales-marketing Biemans et al. (2010), • Firms use a variety of sales-
2012).
structure Dewsnap and Jobber marketing configurations
(2000), Homburg et al. with different roles of mar Relevant firm characteristics encompass firm size (Biemans et al.,
(2008), Jensen, Homburg keting and sales and different 2010; Biemans & Makovec Brenčič, 2007), organizational culture (Bie
et al. (1999), Kotler et al. degrees of sales-marketing mans & Makovec Brenčič, 2007), organizational justice (Hulland et al.,
(2006) alignment 2012), top management support of the SMI (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014;
• SMI configurations represent
positions on an evolutionary
Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Lane, 2009; Le Meunier-FitzHugh, Massey, &
path, with full alignment as Piercy, 2011; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2007a), and the firm’s
the final stage communication and information systems (Matthyssens & Johnston,
• A firm’s appropriate SMI 2006). For example, researchers have suggested that senior manage
configuration depends on the
ment can help remove barriers between sales and marketing and reduce
firm’s size and scope of
operations conflict by aligning goals (Beverland et al., 2006), aligning rewards
• A variety of integrative (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014; Sleep et al., 2018),
mechanisms help to align and promoting organizational justice through a fair distribution of re
sales and marketing sources and procedures and high-quality interactions (Hulland et al.,
SMI effects Ernst et al. (2010), Guenzi • Effective sales-marketing in
and Troilo (2006), teractions have a positive ef
2012). In addition, a commitment to organizational learning involves
Homburg and Jensen fect on relationship the development of a common language that facilitates communication
(2007), Keszey and effectiveness and employee and information sharing between sales and marketing and thus has a
Biemans (2016), Malshe satifaction and retention positive impact on sales-marketing collaboration (Le Meunier-FitzHugh
and Sohi (2009b), Massey • Effective SMIs have a direct
& Piercy, 2009, 2010).
and Dawes (2007a), Ritz positive effect on business
et al. (2018) performance (revenues, Finally, several studies suggest that the functioning of SMIs is
profits, customer satisfaction) impacted by individual characteristics of sales and marketing personnel,
• Effective SMIs contribute to such as their level of education and previous sales experience of mar
business performance keting managers (Biemans & Makovec Brenčič, 2007; Massey & Dawes,
through their role in key
business processes, such as
2007a). Especially in B2B firms, the quality of the SMI is improved when
value creation, innovation, the marketing manager has previously worked in sales in the same
and strategy development company, which enhances mutual understanding, empathy and trust.
and implementation
Factors impacting Biemans et al. (2010), • The SMI is influenced by a
the SMI and its Dawes and Massey (2005), range of variables related to
3.3. How can we resolve inconsistencies and integrate the findings from
effects Le Meunier-FitzHugh and the firm’s business context, extant SMI research?
One of the key objectives of a systematic literature review is to
330
“resolve definitional ambiguities … and provide an integrated, synthe perceptions) helps us integrate and synthesize the core themes we
sized overview of the current state of knowledge” (Palmatier et al., identified within the SMI research (i.e., sales-marketing interactions,
2018, p. 2). To this effect, we learn that SMI researchers typically neglect sales-marketing perceptions, SMI structure, roles of sales and marketing,
to clearly define what the SMI entails and just focus on certain aspects of and effects of the SMI) as well as explicate the key variables that fold
the relationship between sales and marketing departments. This has under these themes. To this end, we arranged the themes to represent
resulted in inconsistencies across studies about an SMI’s key compo the key stages of an SMI design and management process (Fig. 1). We
nents. For example, structural characteristics like formalization have also explicate a range of factors that may impact the SMI design and
been used as a key component of an SMI (Homburg et al., 2008), but also management process.
as an SMI antecedent (Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2010; Rouziès
et al., 2005). Further, sales-marketing collaboration has been defined in 4. Future research directions
terms of activities that capture both departments working together and
sharing ideas (Dewsnap & Jobber, 2009), and it is also operationalized Our systematic literature review not only serves to examine and
in terms of the resulting perceptions such as team spirit, shared goals synthesize the current body of work on SMIs, but also provides a foun
and shared vision (Le Meunier-Fitzhugh & Massey, 2019; Le Meunier- dation to derive future research directions (Hulland & Houston, 2020;
FitzHugh & Piercy, 2009). In addition, authors use concepts like Palmatier et al., 2018). We juxtapose our proposed model of the SMI
collaboration (Dewsnap & Jobber, 2009; Kelemen-Erdős & Molnár, with the big-picture conceptual questions and paradigm shifts that have
2019; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2010; Troilo et al., 2009), inte been recently discussed in the marketing literature to identify future
gration (Biemans et al., 2010; Dewsnap & Jobber, 2000; Rouziès et al., research directions for this domain. Specifically, a review of the recent
2005; Smith, Gopalakrishna, & Chatterjee, 2006), and alignment academic and practitioner marketing literature (e.g., Cuevas, 2018;
(Banerjee & Bhardwaj, 2019; Kotler et al., 2006; Peterson, Gordon, & Kumar, 2018; Sridhar & Fang, 2019) suggests three major changes
Palghat, 2015) interchangeably to refer to sales and marketing working occurring in the world of sales and marketing: (1) a rapidly changing
together in a friendly manner characterized by mutual trust and respect. technological environment including big data’s impact on sales and
To resolve such inconsistencies in the extant literature and offer a marketing practice, (2) the emergence of developing markets as strong
holistic, yet parsimonious definition of the SMI, we steer clear of the players in a globalized world, and (3) the changing roles of marketing
concepts that have been used somewhat ambiguously to characterize the and sales in increasingly competitive business environments.
SMI in prior research. Instead, we follow the approach used by Homburg Given that sales and marketing are boundary spanning functions,
et al. (2008) in that we reorganize these previously used concepts along these paradigm shifts are likely to affect their roles and responsibilities,
with other key SMI variables such as trust and conflict (Dawes & Massey, and thereby the various linkages, interactions, and perceptions between
2005; Enyinda et al., 2021; Malshe et al., 2017; Massey & Dawes, 2007a) these two departments. Combining these emerging paradigm shifts with
within four conceptual domains to define the SMI as the structural link the findings from our systematic literature review, we identify four di
ages, role linkages, interactions, and perceptions between a firm’s sales and rections for future research that will have a major impact on our un
marketing departments. These domains are foundational to the SMI and derstanding of the functioning and nature of SMIs: (1) the impact of
each domain serves as a conceptual container for several related vari digital technologies on SMIs, (2) the impact of national culture on SMIs,
ables discussed within this stream of research. We further characterize (3) SMIs in SMEs, and (4) the impact of the evolving roles of sales and
each domain as follows: marketing on SMIs. Below, we briefly discuss each avenue. Table 3
presents illustrative research questions for these four research avenues
• Structural linkages refer to the “horizontal platforms or interaction and offers initial propositions that may serve as sources of research ideas
channels [that] are established for interdepartmental activities” for SMI future scholars.
(Homburg et al., 2008, p. 137) and function as coordination mech
anisms (Dewsnap & Jobber, 2009; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 4.1. Impact of digital technologies
2008; Workman Jr. et al., 1998). They encompass how sales and
marketing are configured (Dewsnap & Jobber, 2000; Homburg et al., The increasing use of digital technologies, such as artificial intelli
2008; Workman Jr. et al., 1998), and integrative mechanisms used to gence, cloud computing, and social and mobile platforms not only
facilitate sales-marketing interactions (Johnson & Matthes, 2018; Le change how salespeople interact with customers (Bharadwaj & Shipley,
Meunier-Fitzhugh & Massey, 2019; Rouziès et al., 2005). 2020; Guenzi & Nijssen, 2020), but may also affect sales-marketing in
• Role linkages refer to the “interdependencies that exist between teractions. They are likely to enhance the formal, structured interactions
marketing and [sales]” (Hutt & Speh, 1984, p. 53) in terms of ac between the two departments (e.g., increased communication fre
tivities and decision-making roles (Matthyssens & Johnston, 2006). quency), but may also stimulate informal communications (e.g., through
They encompass interdependencies created by the different orien intranet conversations, shared notes stored on sales enablement plat
tations of sales and marketing (Beverland et al., 2006; Guenzi & forms, informal chat WhatsApp groups) (Enyinda et al., 2020; Singh
Troilo, 2006; Homburg & Jensen, 2007), and the relative influence of et al., 2019). Such interactions may contribute to social and relational
sales and marketing in tasks and decision-making (Dawes & Massey, capital and reduce conflict and perceptions of ‘us versus them’ between
2006; Homburg et al., 2008; Troilo et al., 2009). sales and marketing personnel (Dawes & Massey, 2005; Enyinda et al.,
• Interactions include all variables that describe sales and marketing’s 2021; Massey & Dawes, 2007b; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014). By increasing
behavior toward each other over time, such as communication, informal communication, digital technologies stimulate informal net
knowledge sharing, and influence tactics (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014; works (Kleinbaum & Tushman, 2008; Krackhardt & Hanson, 1993),
Dawes & Massey, 2005, 2006; Homburg et al., 2008; Massey & which diminishes the need for structural linkages and mitigates the
Dawes, 2007a). negative impact of siloed structures and rigid role definitions (Dewsnap
• Perceptions include all variables that capture sales and marketing’s & Jobber, 2000; Hauer et al., 2021; Kiesler & Cummings, 2002; Kraut,
attitudes about each other and their relationship at a specific point in Fussell, Brennan, & Siegel, 2002).
time, such as cohesion, shared vision, credibility, trust, conflict, and On the other hand, digital technologies may be distracting and
personal rapport (Beverland et al., 2006; Dawes & Massey, 2005; deleterious to workplace performance (Aguenza & Som, 2012; Munene
Malshe, 2010; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014). & Nyaribo, 2013) and have a negative impact on SMI perceptions, which
are often sub-par to begin with (Dawes & Massey, 2005; Malshe et al.,
Our characterization of the SMI as consisting of the four above 2017). Further, firms may be faced with challenges such as integrating
mentioned domains (structural linkages, role linkages, interactions, and or assessing the value of spontaneous, informal digital conversations in
331
Fig. 1. Conceptual model of the sales-marketing interface (SMI).
the context of formal, shared data that firms possess. In addition, mechanisms. On the other hand, more nuanced interactions may also
technology-enhanced interactions may result in groupthink, with sales hide underlying thought-world differences that are more visible in cul
and marketing personnel losing their unique voice and perspective tures that prefer direct, open communication.
(Biemans et al., 2010; Janis, 1971; Turner & Pratkanis, 1998), while the National culture may as well impact how differences between hier
lack of face-to-face interactions may also negatively impact the quality archical levels are perceived (Hofstede, 1980). While in Western econ
of communications (Wilson, Santana, & Paharia, 2018). Future research omies candid conversations with superiors are often commonplace and
should focus on untangling these positive and negative effects of digital dissenting opinions are freely shared, emerging economies are often
tools on sales-marketing interactions and perceptions. characterized by significant power distances between superiors and
subordinates that affect the nature of interactions and resulting per
ceptions across hierarchical levels (Hofstede, 2013; Tear, Reader,
4.2. Impact of national culture Shorrock, & Kirwan, 2020; Van Kleef & Cheng, 2020). Future research
could use multi-level analyses to investigate the effects of hierarchy on
Most SMI research looks at firms in Western countries, such as the sales-marketing interactions and perceptions. For example, researchers
United States and United Kingdom, but findings from a few studies can study relationships in which a lower level of data (salespeople) is
suggest that SMIs may be quite different in countries with different nested in a higher level of data (sales managers) and account for vari
national cultures (Johnson & Boeing, 2016; Le Meunier-FitzHugh et al., ance at each level (Ahearne, Haumann, Kraus, & Wieseke, 2013; Malshe
2021; Malshe et al., 2012; Malshe & Al-Khatib, 2017). Western cultures & Krush, 2020). Insights from research on the impact of national culture
are low-context, individualistic cultures that emphasize individual ac on SMIs will contribute to our understanding about SMIs in both
complishments and goals, and use direct, transparent, and open developed and developing economies and help managers in multina
communication. In contrast, many developing markets such as India and tional corporations to design and manage effective SMIs with repre
China are high-context, collectivist cultures that focus on group norms sentatives of different nationalities (Hetényi, 2020).
and values, and use complex, ambiguous, embedded, and indirect forms
of communication (Hall, 1976; Hofstede, 2020).
Several studies suggest that national cultures influence organiza 4.3. SMIs in SMEs
tional cultures (Adler & Gunderson, 2008; Calori, Steele, & Yoneyama,
1995; Van Oudenhoven, 2001) and thus are expected to impact how The extant SMI literature strongly focuses on large firms with sepa
sales and marketing employees interact (Dunkel & Meierewert, 2004; rate sales and marketing departments, each with their own identities
Neyer & Harzing, 2008). For example, the embedded nature of high- and well-defined roles, which often result in suboptimal communication
context cultures will likely result in richer interactions, which will in and coordination (Beverland et al., 2006; Homburg et al., 1999; Hom
crease the inclination to affiliate (Hui & Villareal, 1989; Markus & burg & Jensen, 2007; Malshe et al., 2017). However, the business world
Kitayama, 1991) and forge interpersonal connections (Kashima & Har is dominated by SMEs that employ fewer than 250 persons and have
die, 2000), and thus reduce conflict and increase mutual trust and annual revenue not exceeding €50 million (European Commission,
overall SMI effectiveness. National culture may also, in turn, reduce 2016). While these SMEs often lack a traditional marketing department,
thought-world differences and thus the need for structural integrative their CEOs or sales managers frequently function as part-time, ‘hidden
332
Table 3
Future research directions.
Future research Rationale Illustrative research questions Illustrative propositions
direction
Impact of digital Digital technologies impact how people How do various digital technologies impact SMIs in high-technology use contexts have (a) less
technologies interact and thus nature and effectiveness of sales-marketing interactions and perceptions? dysfunctional conflict, (b) less functional conflict, (c)
SMIs When do technology-enhanced interactions better communication, and (d) higher levels of trust
result in both departments losing their distinct than SMIs in low-technology use contexts
role and identity?
How is the use of digital technologies related to
informal social networks in SMIs?
How do sales and marketing employees use
informal, digital conversations in combination
with planned, formal interactions?
Impact of national Differences between national cultures result in How does national culture impact sales- SMIs in high-context, collectivist countries have (a) less
culture different sales-marketing interactions and marketing interactions and perceptions? dysfunctional conflict, (b) less functional conflict, (c)
perceptions Do more nuanced interactions in high-context better communication, and (d) higher levels of trust
cultures result in less thought-world differences? than SMIs in low-context, individualistic countries
Or do they serve to hide underlying thought-
world differences?
How do cultural standards impact cross-cultural
interactions in SMIs in multinational
corporations?
SMIs in SMEs SMIs in SMEs differ from SMIs in larger firms; Which SMI configurations are common in SMEs? SMIs in SMEs have (a) less dysfunctional conflict, (b)
more insight into the nature of these embryonic How effective are they? more functional conflict, (c) better communication,
SMIs and how they evolve helps larger firms to What is the impact of SMI characteristics in SMEs and (d) higher levels of trust than SMIs in large
improve their SMIs on sales-marketing interactions and perceptions? companies
How can SMEs transform from being sales-
oriented to becoming marketing-oriented,
without increasing thought world differences
and reducing SMI effectiveness?
How can the benefits of physical proximity be
maintained as the firm grows in size?
Changing roles of The roles of marketing and sales are changing, Which factors impact the changing roles of sales SMIs with blurred sales and marketing boundaries have
sales and which blurs the traditional distinction between and marketing? (a) less dysfunctional conflict, (b) more functional
marketing both departments and redefines the SMI How do the changing roles of sales and conflict, (c) better communication, and (d) higher
marketing impact sales-marketing interactions levels of trust than SMIs with rigid sales and marketing
and perceptions? boundaries
What are the advantages and disadvantages of
blurred boundaries between sales and
marketing?
How should the SMI be redefined in the context
of blurring boundaries between sales and
marketing?
marketers’ (Biemans et al., 2010; Harris & Ogbonna, 2003; Storey, practices from SMEs.
2016). Other SMEs combine their sales and marketing functions into a
centralized “smarketing” department (Fatimi, 2016; Hughes, Gray, & 4.4. Impact of changing roles of sales and marketing
Whicher, 2018), where product managers fail to identify with just one of
the two functions (Biemans & Makovec Brenčič, 2007). An SME’s focus Following the tradition of extant SMI research, we defined the SMI as
on short-term survival often results in a sales orientation (Govindarajan, the structural linkages, role linkages, interactions, and perceptions be
Lev, Srivastava, & Enache, 2019), which – enabled by physical prox tween a firm’s sales and marketing departments, each with its own
imity – facilitates frequent, direct interactions, improves collaboration distinct identity, role, and activities. However, scholarly literature sug
with marketers within the firm, and reduces functional barriers (Dew gests that the changing business landscape in a digital, data rich, and
snap & Jobber, 2000; Kahn & McDonough III, 1997; Van den Bulte & diverse world may render the traditional distinctions between sales and
Moenaert, 1998; Workman Jr. et al., 1998). This setup reduces thought- marketing less relevant for many firms (Sridhar & Fang, 2019).
world differences and improves SMI effectiveness (Dawes & Massey, On the one hand, several authors argue that the call for marketing
2005; Massey & Dawes, 2007b). accountability has reduced marketing’s strategic profile (McDonald,
As an SME grows, the nature of the SMI evolves because ‘hidden 2010; Stewart, 2009), and changed it from a separate management
marketers’ are replaced by a rudimentary marketing department as a function into a set of business processes geared to creating and deliv
spin-off from the sales department, which then evolves into a full- ering customer value (Lusch & Webster Jr, 2011; Webster, Malter and
fledged marketing department with its own identity and role (Biemans Ganesan, 2005). Indeed, “[t]oday, marketing in many large companies is
et al., 2010). Future researchers may use longitudinal research methods less of a department and more a diaspora of skills and capabilities spread
to investigate how sales and marketing drift apart over time and identify across … the organization” (Webster, Malter and Ganesan, 2005, p. 36).
the underlying variables that govern this evolution. Since these em As part of this change, marketing activities are being shifted toward
bryonic SMIs carry the seeds of the sales-marketing disharmony that is functions that are closer to customers, like sales (Homburg, Vomberg,
often encountered in larger firms (Beverland et al., 2006; Homburg & Enke, & Grimm, 2015). On the other hand, several studies show that
Jensen, 2007; Kotler et al., 2006; Massey & Dawes, 2007a), detailed sales organizations are becoming more strategic and focus on devel
insight into the evolutionary paths of these budding SMIs might help oping relationships and co-creating value with customers (Cuevas, 2018;
identify early warning signals or effective design parameters. The find Haas et al., 2012; Ingram, LaForge, & Leigh, 2002; Storbacka, Ryals,
ings from such studies may not only contribute to our understanding of Davies, & Nenonen, 2009). A growing emphasis on sales enablement
how SMIs evolve, but also help larger firms to replicate effective (Peterson & Dover, 2021; Peterson, Malshe, Friend, & Dover, 2021;
333
Rangarajan, Dugan, Rouziou, & Kunkle, 2020) results in sales theories to expand SMI research into new directions.
encroaching on activities that are traditionally carried out by marketing
(Keszey & Biemans, 2016). As a result, the boundaries between sales and
marketing departments are becoming increasingly blurred and some 5.2. Managerial implications
firms may even start to merge the two departments into selling or de
mand centers that identify business opportunities, prioritize leads, and Our systematic review and synthesis of the SMI research domain
orchestrate customer outreach (Johnson, Matthes, & Friend, 2019; provides myriad insights that are relevant to sales and marketing prac
Shastri, Zoltners, Sinha, & Lorimer, 2021). Future research could titioners. First, it answers the question “Why should I care about the
explore how these changing roles of sales and marketing redefine the SMI?” for sales and marketing executives. The current body of knowl
SMI and the challenges that firms face in implementing such changes. edge about SMIs demonstrates that an effective SMI contributes to both
employee satisfaction and retention (Guenzi & Troilo, 2006; Ritz et al.,
5. Discussion 2018) and key business performance indicators, such as market share
and profitability (Homburg et al., 2008; Homburg & Jensen, 2007;
5.1. Theoretical contributions Rouziès & Hulland, 2014). In addition, it shows how these positive ef
fects on business performance are realized through the SMI’s contribu
Palmatier et al. (2018, p. 1) note that the value of a systematic tions to key business processes, such as value creation (Guenzi & Troilo,
literature review is to “carefully identify and synthesize relevant liter 2006; Hughes et al., 2012), innovation (Keszey & Biemans, 2016; La
ature to evaluate a … substantive domain … and thereby provide Rocca et al., 2016), and strategy development and implementation
readers with a state-of-the-art understanding of the research topic”. (Malshe, 2010; Malshe & Sohi, 2009a, 2009b). Accordingly, effective
Based on what they consider the key benefits of review papers, we SMI design and management should be a priority for management as it
identify four major contributions of our literature review to the SMI can be an important lever in improving their top and bottom lines.
research domain. Second, the findings from our systematic literature review and con
First, we critically evaluated the methodological approaches and ceptual model (Fig. 1) provide senior management with guidelines to
theories commonly used by SMI researchers. We showed that SMI address the question “How can we design and manage effective SMIs?”.
studies tend to be biased toward large companies with established sales This involves several key decisions.
and marketing departments in Western countries. In addition, less than
one third of the SMI studies specify their theoretical grounding, with a 5.2.1. How to structure the SMI?
strong emphasis on social identity, exchange, network, and interde The first decision concerns the SMI’s structure, which is subject to
pendence theory. This finding suggests that future research may advance considerable variance; formal vs. informal, dispersed vs. centralized,
our understanding of SMI by investigating SMIs in different contexts and etc. (e.g., Dewsnap & Jobber, 2000; Malshe et al., 2012). Managers
using other theories to explore new research questions. In addition, our should design an SMI structure that fits with the nature and scope of
systematic literature review provides an integrated, synthesized over their organization (Biemans et al., 2010) and design and implement
view of the current body of knowledge about SMIs. We identified five appropriate integrative mechanisms to improve the relationship be
key themes in the SMI literature: differences between the roles and tween marketing and sales. Mechanisms such as cross-functional teams
perspectives of sales and marketing, sales-marketing interactions and or cross-functional training (Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2009;
perceptions, sales-marketing structure, SMI effects, and factors that Rouziès et al., 2005) and job rotation (Johnson & Matthes, 2018) may be
impact the SMI. For all five themes, we summarized the key insights used to improve marketing and sales’ ability to comprehend and interact
presented in the literature. with their counterparts.
Second, the results from our systematic literature review uncovered
several inconsistencies that illustrate the lack of a clear, commonly 5.2.2. How to define the functional roles of sales and marketing?
accepted definition of what the SMI entails. For example, aspects of a Sales and marketing perform complementary activities, but the SMI
firm’s sales-marketing structure, such as the degree of formalization, literature emphasizes the potential harmful effects of thought-world
have been used as both a key component as well as an antecedent of the differences between sales and marketing (Beverland et al., 2006; Ces
SMI. And scholars have used similar, but different operationalizations of pedes, 1996; Homburg et al., 2008; Homburg & Jensen, 2007). For
SMI collaboration, integration, and alignment. Following the approach various key business processes, management must define the roles of
used by Homburg et al. (2008), we resolved these definitional ambigu both departments, their contributions to the processes, and their influ
ities and the lack of a generally accepted SMI definition by developing a ence on decisions. Considering the fluid roles of sales and marketing.
comprehensive, yet parsimonious definition of the SMI, which (1) (Cuevas, 2018; Haas et al., 2012; Keszey & Biemans, 2016; Peterson
identifies four key conceptual domains that capture different aspects of et al., 2021), management should monitor the blurring lines between the
SMIs, and (2) includes all key elements of the SMI identified in our two departments and use tools like reward alignment and resource
literature review. Our definition both resolves definitional ambiguities flexibility to keep sales and marketing aligned toward corporate goals
and helps to advance our understanding of SMIs (Covin & Lumpkin, (Arnett & Wittmann, 2014; Dewsnap et al., 2020).
2011).
Third, we used the key themes, insights, and variables from extant 5.2.3. How to create effective sales-marketing interactions and perceptions?
SMI research to develop a comprehensive conceptual model that has The core of the SMI consists of positive perceptions of sales and
‘conceptual grab’ (Glaser, 2002), reconciles past research, and synthe marketing employees, such as trust, cohesion, and credibility (Malshe &
sizes the key findings from the extant SMI literature. In addition, we Sohi, 2009a; Massey & Dawes, 2007a; Rouziès & Hulland, 2014), which
ordered the key themes from the SMI literature into a process model that are the result of positive interactions, such as frequent, bidirectional
can be used by practitioners to design and manage effective SMIs. communication (Dawes & Massey, 2005; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Lane,
Fourth, the findings from our systematic literature review and con 2009; Le Meunier-FitzHugh & Piercy, 2010). Management should make
ceptual model provide researchers with a common starting point to every effort to remove barriers that may hinder effective interactions,
further develop this domain and suggest numerous promising directions emphasize and communicate a shared vision, and encourage personal
for future research that will broaden the scope of SMI research and rapport and trust between counterparts, for instance through informal
advance our understanding of this critical interface. We presented four interactions and social activities (Beverland et al., 2006; Johnson &
promising suggestions for future research that encourage scholars to Boeing, 2016; Kratzer, Leenders, & Van Engelen, 2005; Massey &
investigate new research questions, explore new contexts, and use new Dawes, 2007a)
334
5.2.4. How to create effective enablers of an effective SMI? Cespedes, F. V. (1993). Co-ordinating sales and marketing in consumer goods firms.
Journal of Consumer Marketing, 10(2), 37–55.
Finally, the articles reviewed suggest various factors that may impact
Cespedes, F. V. (1994). Industrial marketing: Managing new requirements. Sloan
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Matthyssens & Johnston, 2006). Dawes, P. L., & Massey, G. R. (2005). Antecedents of conflict in marketing’s cross-
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marketing and sales managers in business markets. Journal of Business & Industrial
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Industrial Marketing Management 102 (2022) 324–337

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Industrial Marketing Management

The sales-marketing interface: A systematic literature review and directions

1. Introduction with marketing, participate in development of marketing strategy

Abbreviations: SMI, sales-marketing interface.

Table 2 Table 2 (continued )

One of the key objectives of a systematic literature review is to

Fig. 1. Conceptual model of the sales-marketing interface (SMI).

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