Customer Intimacy Adoption and its impact on Organisational Performance

Abstract

Purpose : The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the adoption of the customer intimacy strategy can enhance organisational performance through the mediating role of customer relationship management performance (CRMP). Design/ Methodology/ Approach : A theoretical model was developed to determine the extent to which customer intimacy adoption affects customer relationship management performance and organisational performance. This model was examined in a survey of customer service managers in the manufacturing settings of Ghana. Findings : The proposed research model that links customer intimacy with organisational performance through the mediating role of Customer Relationship Management Performance (customer loyal and retention) has been validated. In effect, customer intimacy strategy is seen to impact positively on CRMP and organisational performance. Originality/Value : Despite the numerous benefits that customer intimacy can provide, only few academics have paid attention in the area with some lacking empirical validation. This study addresses this gap by empirically testing the customer intimacy concept on the manufacturing sector. Further, there is no agreement among scholars about the dimensions of customer intimacy. This gap is fulfilled by adding trust and commitment as dimensions of customer intimacy.