ECRM technologies, capabilities and SME performance benefits

Abstract

O rganizations today have a diversity of applications available to support the management of customer relationships, namely electronic-customer relationship management (eCRM) applications. Despite the growing need of understanding eCRM in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), eCRM research is largely focused on large organizations. Building on the theory of dynamic capabilities, this paper examines the relationships among use of the internet infrastructure, eCRM capabilities, and their resulting benefits through a survey across 286 SMEs in Ireland. Findings present significant theoretical and practical contributions. It is posited that the ICT infrastructure strongly impacts eCRM capabilities of SME's. Further, it is posited that the level of ICT use impacts on eCRM capabilities. Ultimately, the more proficient the eCRM capabilities, the higher the levels of benefits recorded for SME's. Our eCRM focused study provides a valuable theoretical contribution and also aims to inspire further research in the SME context of this important area.