Abstract
The point of departure for this study is the understanding of customer relationship management (CRM) as a set of technological solutions key for efficient business management, the benefits of which, highlighted by previous works, are presented and defined here as crucial for entrepreneurial success. Of particular interest for this purpose are the existing studies on sustainability, which provide a viable research model to assess and validate the potential effect of each CRM component (sales, marketing, and services) on the three dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social). Upon confirmation of our hypotheses, the subsequent validation of such model should bring a better understanding of the way in which CRM-related benefits may increase the positive impact of its components on each dimension of sustainability. CRM can hence be considered a sort of Green IT, oriented toward digital transformation and sustainable business model innovation. Indeed, this research model may be the basis for a more specific methodology to measure the impact and benefits of applying CRM, understood, as we will contend, both in terms of sustainable business models and innovation.
Highlights
This paper proposes a research model to analyse how customer relationship management (CRM) brings small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a dual benefit, in terms of both customer knowledge management (CKM) and innovation
After an exhaustive literature review, we may conclude that most existing studies have successfully described the benefits of CRM implementation on firm performance
A consolidated approach to the aforementioned, exploitationexploration duality of present and future CRM benefits remains undertheorized. Taking these bifold benefits as a starting point, the present paper intends to present a research method aimed at determining whether CRM is a technological solution within the scope of sustainability and sustainable business models
Summary
This paper proposes a research model to analyse how customer relationship management (CRM) brings small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a dual benefit, in terms of both customer knowledge management (CKM) and innovation This confluence of interests and benefits is a key point to consider CRM a critical tool for business model innovation, driving SME efforts toward economic, social and environmental sustainability. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004) understand customer collaboration as a modern anchor of customer knowledge management and innovation, as well as a system enabling successful organisations to learn from their customers’ needs how to meet their demands and improve performance This call to consolidating and integrating customer collaboration and customer-need knowledge is what CRM seeks to respond to as both a strategic tool and business philosophy for leading firms
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