Authors: Despina Karayanni
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a quantitative preliminary study performed to 72 highranking
executives of professional service organizations in Greece, examining the CRM
process perspective and the relationships of its constituents with organizational performance,
in a business-to-business context.
The purposes of our research were: a) to formulate a research model of CRM process
variables and organizational performance, as the latter is essential in defining effectiveness of
CRM application in an organization, b) to identify the degree to which service organizations
in Greece were applying CRM practices, and, c) to scan relationships among CRM process
variables with organizational performance measures. Methodology involved qualitative and
quantitative research design, field data collection and a series of descriptive and advanced
statistical analyses. The collected data were subjected to a series of exploratory factor
analyses, reliability and confirmatory analyses, which produced five reliable factors out of
twenty-eight CRM knowledge items and five reliable factors out of twenty-seven CRM
process activities items. Especially the later were named as acquisition activities,
reinforcement activities, prevention activities, termination activities and finally, as win-back
activities.
Research results showed that the prevention activities appeared to mirror a reactive behavior,
not related to enhanced organizational performance. On the contrary, a proactive behavior
based on customer-centric, interactive co-creation dialogue with the customer, that is oriented
towards innovation, may boost winback activities, resulting in enhanced organizational
performance, in terms of both innovation and profits, as research results implied. The paper
ends with limitations of the study, together with some directions for future research.
Keywords: CRM process perspective, CRM knowledge dimensions, CRM activities, winback
activities, organizational performance
Journal: ( – )
Web Address:
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Conference: Glasgow, Scotland (2011)