Title: How customer relationship management improves sustainable business strategy: a bibliometric analysis

Authors: Nuryakin; Lalu Supardin

Addresses: Department of Management, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia ' Department of Management, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract: This study evaluates the relevance, thematic distribution, theoretical grounding, and future trajectory of customer relationship management (CRM) research using a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications from 2014-2024. Data were extracted using the keyword 'customer relationship management' and analysed on January 30, 2025. Scopus was selected due to its credibility, stringent peer-review standards, and broad publisher coverage. The results confirm that CRM remains a strategically important research domain, with a clear upward trend in publications, particularly those integrating digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and customer experience management. Dominant theoretical lenses include the resource-based view, relationship marketing theory, and social exchange theory. However, a clear gap persists in CRM studies focusing on SMEs, developing economies, and longitudinal or comparative designs. Methodologically, the reliance on a single database represents a limitation. Future research should integrate multiple databases, apply advanced bibliometric tools, and explore the nexus between CRM.

Keywords: customer relationship management; CRM; sustainable business strategy; bibliometric analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJECRM.2026.152098

International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 2026 Vol.16 No.1, pp.95 - 124

Received: 29 Sep 2025
Accepted: 15 Nov 2025
Published online: 06 Mar 2026 *

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