Understanding customer relationship management (CRM) adoption in an Arab Middle Eastern context

While the development of customer relationship management (CRM) started in the developed west, it has rapidly spread to developing countries. However, the way organisations adopt CRM in developing countries, and more specifically in the Arab world, might be different and the context certainly differs. There is a shortage of rigorous studies that examine the drivers of CRM adoption in this context. In this study, we examine the antecedents of CRM adoption in the Jordanian service sector. The conceptual framework of this research is tested using a cross-sectional survey of more than 322 practitioners. Using structural equation modelling analysis, results specify six underlying factors that explain CRM adoption: segmentation analysis, clear direction and objectives, performance measurement, rewarding usage, managing project changes, and knowledge management. Each area has implications for improving practices and maximising the benefits of adopting the process or management practice of CRM. This paper identifies key practices to provide useful guidelines for organisations in the Arab world making plans to adopt CRM, with broader implications for the adoption of many systems and projects there and for CRM deployment in developed regions

What drives consumers' e-loyalty to airlines web site? Conceptual framework and managerial implications

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure continuance intentions of online shopping for airlines web sites. The sample respondent 465online users in Saudi Arabia. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, social pressure, and loyalty incentives are determinants of online flight booking continuance in Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online booking intentions and includes factors affecting online booking continuance. The research model explains 53% of the intention to continue booking using airlines web sites

The factors driving online shopping in Saudi Arabia: Regional and behavioral differences among women

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure regional differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The sample consists of 650 female respondents. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. Women in the eastern, western, and central region groups are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression path from perceived usefulness to enjoyment is not invariant between female shoppers in the eastern and western regions or in the eastern and central regions. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 60% of the intention to continue shopping online. Furthermore, this research suggests that online strategies cannot ignore the influence of either direct or indirect regional differences on continuance intentions; the model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia

Understanding the factors that attract travellers to buy tickets online in Saudi Arabia

Despite widespread discussions of online consumer behaviour and the effect of web quality on online user’s actions, there is still a lack of research in the area of consumer attitude towards the services provided by airline companies due to the specific nature of travellers. – being using the internet for different motivations and buying specific kind of product (e-tickets). This study aims to measure consumers’ electronic satisfaction and intention to purchase tickets from Airlines websites. The results provide better understanding on the factors that attract travellers to adopt the most cost effective distribution channel for Airlines (own website) for ticketing needs. To obtain the study objective, a conceptual framework is developed based on literature pertaining to e-consumer behaviour, web quality, and travel and tourism streams. A detective quantitative methodology was chosen to examine the constructs and the relations within the framework. An online survey targeting actual airline online users (travellers) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is suggested with items covering 9 constructs: Information Quality (IQ), System Quality (SQ), Perceived usefulness (PU), Perceived ease of use (PEOU),e-Trust (ET), Airline reputation (AR), Price Perception (PP), e-Satisfaction (ES), and Intention to Purchase (IP). Findings would help decision makers within airline companies to understand their customers’ online behaviour and enable enhancements and modifications to be made to their airline storefront, hence ensuring the satisfaction of potential customers and conversion of visitors into buyers

Investigating the situated culture of multi-channel customer management:A case study in Egypt

This paper investigates the influence of national culture on customers' behavior and customers' choice of channel through the customer life cycle stages. An exploratory in-depth single case study in a multinational organization in Egypt was conducted. Specifically, 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with members of staff in marketing, IT, retail and customer services departments, and external prospects/customers. Based on an interpretive approach, the authors have articulated a situated cultural approach based on structuration theory to identify the cultural dimensions that have provided an understanding of the cultural influence on customers' channel choice. The results highlighted that verbal, human interaction, traditional shopping, and cash based were the themes for customers' channel choice through the four stages of customer life cycle. The results also show that the customers' channel choices were linked to the following Egyptian cultural dimensions: collectivism, market price relationship, emotional, power distance, low trust, uncertainty avoidance, and universalism

A Model of Electronic Customer Relationship Management System Adoption In Telecommunication Companies

Employee satisfaction is key to electronic–customer relationship management (E-CRM) systems in telecommunication companies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect effect of technological factors, individual factors, and organizational factors on employees' level of satisfaction. For this study, data was collected from 300 employees' workings in Malaysian telecommunication companies; and the data was analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings revealed that technological, organizational, and individual factors are positively and significantly related to satisfaction and perceived usefulness. The results also supported the direct and positive relationship between perceived usefulness between employees' job satisfaction. The study has contributed to the body of literature by exploring the implications of various significant factors in terms of employee satisfaction. Besides, the management of the telecommunication companies may benefit from this study by adopting strategies that not only employee satisfaction but may also enhance the companies' performance. The limitations and the direction for future research are discussed in the end

The influence of culture on trust in B2B banking relationships

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Roudaina Joujeir and Ross Brennan, ‘The influence of culture on trust in B2B banking relationships’, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 35(3): 495-515, May 2017, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJBM-05-2016-0075. Published by Emerald.Purpose The purpose is to explore the significance of culture generally, and Arab culture in particular, for the development of trust in business-to-business banking relationships. Design/methodology Qualitative fieldwork was employed, gathering in-depth interview data from bankers and their business clients in the United Arab Emirates. In total, 80 relationships between bankers and business clients were investigated. Findings The development of trusting relationships between bankers and clients is affected by the cultural origins of the relationship partners. Strongly held religious beliefs, and loyalty to family, tribe and nation, lead to strong affect-based trust between bankers and clients from Arab culture. Cognitive-based trust is more characteristic of UAE banker/client relationships that involve partners from outside the Arab world. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in the UAE. Additional tests in other Arab countries would be valuable. The qualitative nature of the study means that statistical generalisations cannot be drawn. Practical implications The cultural origins of banking relationship managers are of considerable importance when seeking to develop relationships of trust with business banking clients in the Arab world. Originality/value This substantial, qualitative study of banker relationships with business clients throws considerable light on the importance of culture as an antecedent to trust in business-to-business banking relationships.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Strategy of Customer Relationship Management in Multinational Corporations

A successful strategy and system of Customer Relationship Management will help the company to better understand the needs and the behaviour of customers. Especially in Multinational Corporations, which an organization that owns or controls production of goods or services in one or more countries other than its home country. Due to the various background of customers have different perspectives, preferences and purchase behaviours, it is very difficult and also important to understand and manage the relationship between customers and the company. This thesis discusses about the strategy to optimize the relationship between a firm and its customers to find more opportunities to create competitive advantages. And it mainly focuses on the perspectives of people (particularly from culture and social aspects), information technology and business process to understand the present and future customers, therefore to come up a strategic CRM framework for MNCs. The theoretical data is analysed and processed base on the different articles and literatures. The interpretive and qualitative methodology is adopted in the empirical data collection approach, and the analysis method will be based on content analysis. The result of this Master’s thesis proposes a final CRM framework in MNCs based on the empirical findings, which is integrated with a CRM Evaluation. In order to build a successful CRM strategy, in addition to considering People, Information Technology and Business Process, the other factors like the company’s organizational structures and the local business environments should also take into consideration. Through evaluating the results of the implementation of this CRM framework, then to develop and manage the future business process accordingly.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

E-Government in the United Arab Emirates: A Study of the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Centre

In this current age of information technology (IT), electronic government (e-government) has transformed the interaction between the government and the citizens. To make this transformation contextually and locally relevant, this research examines the efficiency of e-government in Abu Dhabi by undertaking a case study of the efficiency of the electronic contact channels at the Abu Dhabi Government Contact Center (ADGCC). It, also, identifies the challenges faced by the ADGCC and provides recommendations to overcome the challenges accordingly. The study model for this research is developed by reviewing the key concepts related to the implementation of the e-government. The primary research is conducted by surveying the opinions of fifty-eight ADGCC agents. Through survey results, the efficiency and effectiveness of the e-channels are assessed. Study findings demonstrate that all e channels are performing efficiently, indicating contact time efficiency, response time efficiency, and comparative response time efficiency, especially in comparison to the phone efficiency. Email is found to have the highest outcome efficiency as compared to other channels observed in the analysis. In terms of effectiveness, it was observed that the two mediums, ‘City Guard’ and email, are those that achieve the highest customer satisfaction. The gaps identified by this study through applying its model are ‘employee training’ (under the organizational theme), ‘system integration’ (under technological theme), and ‘citizen awareness’ and ‘citizen training’ (both under the social theme). Finally, recommendations are added in relation to these gaps, as well as for achieving higher efficiency and effectiveness in the e-channels that may improve ‘smart e-government’ in Abu Dhabi