Title: Customer relationship management adoption: using a dynamic capabilities approach

Authors: Cristiane Drebes Pedron, Mario Caldeira

Addresses: Department of Management, ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Miguel Lupi, 20, Lisboa, 1200-781, Portugal. ' Department of Management, ISEG – Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa, Miguel Lupi, 20, Lisboa, 1200-781, Portugal

Abstract: Customer relationship management (CRM) adoption is both a relevant research topic in academia and a challenge for practitioners. We understand CRM as a complex concept that includes technology, strategy and philosophy. In this research, we propose an analysis of CRM organisational dynamic capabilities. The main goal is to apply a dynamic capabilities perspective to analyse how companies can improve their CRM initiatives. In order to achieve this purpose, a qualitative, interpretative, case-based research strategy was implemented. We conducted a case study in a Portuguese telecommunication enterprise for one year. The case study was based on semi-structured interviews and document analysis. We used qualitative techniques to analyse the collected data and ground our interpretation in a dynamic capabilities theoretical approach. We propose a theoretical framework related to CRM dynamic capability that is corroborated with empirical evidence. We believe that because organisations which adopt a CRM strategy are in a competitive environment, a dynamic model needs to be used to analyse and explain how they can improve their CRM strategy in order to achieve success.

Keywords: customer relationship management; CRM; dynamic capabilities; telecommunications industry; organisational capabilities; Portugal; competitive environments; strategic management; Alfa Telecom; internet marketing; advertising; world wide web; electronic business; e-business; digital marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2011.038239

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2011 Vol.6 No.3, pp.265 - 281

Published online: 26 Nov 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article