Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Implementation Gaps
Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Vol. 24, pp. 279-295, Fall 2004
46 Pages Posted: 21 Feb 2011
Date Written: 2004
Abstract
Customer relationship management (CRM) implementation initiatives have been marred by failure, which many in the popular and academic literature attribute to limited technology acceptance among end users. This paper presents a conceptual model that depicts how the extent of alignment between the three constituent elements of a firm’s CRM program (employees, processes and technology) influences end user acceptance of CRM technology. In particular, the model proposes that perceived process-technology, technology-employee and employee-process gaps within CRM programs generates cognitive dissonance among end users, and that the level of dissonance generated ultimately determines whether individuals will adopt or resist the new technology. Research and managerial implications stemming from the literature are provided.
Keywords: Customer Relationship Management, CRM, CRM Technology, Sales Force Automation, SFA, Personal Selling
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