A hybrid technology acceptance approach for exploring e-CRM adoption in organizations

Abstract

Customer relationship management (CRM) is replacing the traditional ‘four Ps’ of marketing – product, price, place and promotion. Forging long-term relationships with customers is the key to stability in an increasingly dynamic market. Despite the steady growth in the number of worldwide installations, industry studies indicate that approximately 60% of web-based CRM software (e-CRM) installations are failures. System use is recognized as one of the important indicators for successful implementation of information systems (IS) and is often correlated with other constructs, such as user attitude and behavioral intention, in the literature. The technology acceptance model (TAM) is particularly useful for explaining and analyzing IS-usage behavior and subsequently, the behavior is influenced by attitude and behavioral intention. However, TAM is incomplete for either considering only part of the attributes of the innovation factor or only part of the factors affecting IS innovation process. Therefore, this study integrates TAM with an extension of innovation diffusion theory (IDT), IS innovation model, in a complimentary manner and, furthermore, empirically concludes some guidelines for practitioners to effectively assist in the diffusion of e-CRM in organizations.