Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Publication Title

Industrial Marketing Management

Keywords

role conflict, service sabotage, job dissatisfaction, emotional intelligence, customer success managers, custerom success management

Abstract

Drawing on the self-determination, conservation of resources, and self-regulation theories, this research examines the impact of role conflict faced by customer success managers (CSMs) in regard to service sabotage through a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Results from testing a moderated mediation model provide support for the relationship between this role-stressor and service sabotage, the mediating effects of job dissatisfaction on this relationship, and the moderating effects of the respondent's emotional intelligence on the mediated relationship. As such, business-to-business (B2B) suppliers should develop strategies to mitigate role conflict faced by CSMs by aligning internal teams to prevent excessive task delegation to CSMs, promoting open communication that could encourage discussions regarding role-related issues, and a potential restructuring of the hiring process. These actions could engender a stress-free work environment that helps companies champion customer success and catalyze a resounding positive impact on the company's financial performance.

Funding Source

This article was published Open Access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Elsevier.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.1016/j.indmarman.2026.03.001

Comments

First published in Industrial Marketing Management (2026): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2026.03.001

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