Interactive visual aid adoption within pharmaceutical sales organizations

Abstract

Pharmaceutical companies have invested heavily to equip their sales organizations with interactive visual aids (IVAs) running on tablet PCs designed to increase sales productivity and reduce risks associated with regulatory non-compliance. However, research indicates that the majority of sales representatives within these organizations do not use the new technology. In this study, sales representatives from a major US-based pharmaceutical company are surveyed to better understand factors impacting IVA adoption. Using diffusion of innovation as the theoretical lens, findings from this study make significant contributions to both theory and practice. Results of the study indicate that relative advantage and compatibility positively affect usage intention while voluntariness negatively affects usage intention. In addition, evidence is found to support that both image and behavioral evaluation, in the form of financial compensation, positively affects relative advantage while behavioral evaluation and monitoring negatively affects voluntariness.

Keywords

• Diffusion of innovation
• Pharmaceutical sales
• Self-determination theory
• Agency theory