Linking Customization Capability with CRM Technology Adoption and Strategic Alignment

Building on contingency theory and the input-process-output model, this paper investigates the relationships between customer relationship management (CRM) technology adoption, customization capability, CRM effectiveness, and strategic alignment. By surveying senior managers of customized service projects from 288 information technology service firms in Taiwan, we find that CRM technology adoption has a positive relationship with customization capacity, which is, in turn, positively correlated with CRM effectiveness with the correlation being moderated by strategic alignment. This study suggests that CRM marketing and operational technologies can enhance CRM effectiveness via customization capability. This study also uncovers approaches to achieving enhancement.

Automated summary

This study explores the relationships between CRM technology adoption, customization capability, CRM effectiveness, and strategic alignment in Taiwanese information technology service firms. It finds that CRM technology adoption is positively related to customization capacity, which in turn, impacts CRM effectiveness, with strategic alignment moderating the correlation. The study concludes that CRM marketing and operational technologies can enhance CRM effectiveness through customization capability, and uncovers approaches to achieve enhancement.