پذیرش و استفاده از سیستم های مدیریت ارتباط با مشتری (CRM) : مطالعه تجربی از صنعت توزیع خدمات در تایوان

With the rapid change of business competitive environment, enterprise resource integration and innovative issues of business operation have gradually become the most important issues for businesses. Furthermore, many enterprises have implemented novel information technology and developing the innovative e-business applications systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), knowledge management (KM) and supply chain management (SCM) to enhance their competitive advantages. CRM systems can help organizations to gain the potential new customers, promote the existing customers’ purchase, maintain good relationship with customers as well as to enhance the customer value, thus can improve the enterprise images. Moreover, the development and applications of CRM systems have also been considered as important issues for researchers and practitioners in recent years. For Taiwan’s industry, it has been gradually transferred from manufacturing-oriented to a service-oriented. Thus, the service industry has higher percentage in the GDP and in which the distribution service industry is the biggest one and be a core industry in the whole of service industry. The main purpose of this study is to explore the factors affecting the acceptance and use of CRM systems. Furthermore, the proposed research model was built on the basis of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and task-technology fit (TTF) framework as well as technological and managerial theories. The implications of findings for practice will be discussed.

E-business has become a global trend and there are a variety of studies exploring the issue; especially, the research on how to implement technology acceptance model into customer behavior pattern, is very much respected by general enterprises. According to the report proposed by Market Intelligence and Consulting Institute (MIC) in 2006, it pointed out that “electronic sophistication of Taiwan’s large-scale enterprises has been increasing: Manufacturing sector is currently at 55%, and the remaining (including service-oriented sector) is currently at 45%”. The same report also pointed out that enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems are commonly implemented in businesses, also, BI system is gradually becoming more and more popular. In addition, the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs began issuing the “Industry-specific e-Commerce Promotion Program” since 2002; up to now, there are over 4000 enterprises which have employed e-business programs, representing popularity and proven performance of the various programs. Such is the iron-clad proof of how important e-business is today. According to statistics issued by Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of Executive Yuan (2007) in Taiwan, pointing out that “the proportion of service product value to GDP is up to 72.91%, with a working population standing at 5.91 million persons; especially, for the production value of distribution service industry (which includes wholesale, retailing, catering and logistic) has shown significant performance and that proportion is up to 26.7%, with a working population standing at 2.91 million persons”. Thus, it can be seen that the distribution service industry has become a mainstream player in service-oriented development in Taiwan. However, in the related literatures of CRM, very few studies have been conducted on discussion of distribution service industry. For this reason, the main purpose of this study hopes to explore exactly how distribution service industry utilizes the CRM system, and try to execute analysis regarding the appropriateness of the application of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT); finally, to provide reference data for industries which still have not yet applied any e-business programs. As mentioned above, this study uses the theory of UTAUT and TTF to explore the acceptance and use of CRM system in distribution industry. The aim of this paper is therefore twofold: (1) Analyzing the variable in the theory of UTAUT and TTF theory, and reorganizing key factors affecting user acceptance of newest information technology, for realizing the user’s behavioral intention of employing the CRM system. (2) Providing valuable reference for businesses which intend on implementing or upgrading e-business systems in the future.

6.1. Research findings (1) The influence of performance expectancy on behavioral intention. In past researches, performance expectancy has shown positive influence on user’s behavioral intention. However, the distribute service industry does not concur with any positive effects of using the CRM system. The reason could be, that by using the CRM, one can only handle issues concerning sales and operations, nevertheless, the same system dawns no apparent effect regarding performance merit bonus or promotion matters. Hence, it has no influence on performance expectancy. (2) The influence of effort expectancy on behavioral intention. In the CRM system, effort expectancy has shown positive effect on user behavior. If staff members feel that the CRM is easily learned and operated, their willingness to employ it will be enhanced. From the empirical study, it was also found that staff members, when feeling the CRM system is easily learned and operated, will also sense the system being able to assist them regarding better job performances. (3) The influence of social expectancy on behavioral intention. In the CRM system, social expectancy shown positively effects on user behavior. From the empirical study, it can be found that the CRM system will be easily accepted by enterprises when someone with power and authority from within the company, strongly advocate to conduct use of the CRM system. (4) The influence of enabling factor on actual use. From the result shown in the empirical study, the enabling factor has positive influence on actual usage. If staff were well trained and educated whilst the enterprise is implementing the CRM system, it will product positive effect of CRM use. For other enterprises who had developed their own CRM systems, behavioral intention thereof has obviously been enhanced, since there were internal system engineers and educators, who could have quickly handled any technological problems. (5) The influence of task-technology fit on behavioral intention. From the empirical study, task-technology fit positively affects behavioral intention. It can be seen that the CRM system can handle business issues for user; thus, the user is more willing to use it. This presumption fits the idea of Goodhue and Thompson (1995), also the two factors have demonstrated significant positive correlation. This study was set out to explore the factors affecting behavioral intention of using CRM systems, based on the theory of UTAUT and TTF. For final results, the following factors were detected: Whether or not the user feels the CRM system is helpful or not in doing the job; whether or not the system is easy to use, what exactly will be profitable conditions in the environment; whether or not each task can benefit each other, etc. Such were all key factors to influence user’s acceptance. In other words, when the distribution service implements the CRM system which fit its industrial character, then proper job-site education and training will be necessary. When the staff feels the system is easy to use and can effectively handle relevant business issues, the job performance can be naturally enhanced; one thus can achieve the pre-set purpose of the enterprise’s decision to use the CRM system. 6.2. Research limitations Followings are descriptions of the limitations encountered for this research: (1) Overall representation and stability may not be sufficient, since the authors acquired CRM user data from only two distribution service companies. (2) Although the authors conducted the empirical study by using the UTAUT theory, the original variance in the theory was not explored in this research; thus, it might have influenced final effects. 6.3. Suggestions for future study This research model is synthesizing two theories of UTAUT and TTF. Therefore, except for CRM, this model may be employed for other relative researches, in order to observe differentiations between acceptance and behavioral intention in relevance of using various information systems. For future researches, the authors could also combine with other theory, or expand research scope, in order to experience with broader references and directions. This research is using the distribution service as the subject; for future researches, the authors can use another industry, which can be explored and compared, in order to determine whether differentiations exist between technology acceptance and behavioral intention.