Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) & Marketing Performance: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria Telecom Sector

Abstract

This study x-rays the adoption and use of electronic customer relationship management (CRM) in managing customers and subscribers of telecom services. The objective is to ascertain the variants of electronic marketing and how they impact the market performance of firms in the telecom industry. Extant literature on CRM and the predictive factors of e-service quality, web-based CRM, internet-enabled CRM and mobile CRM were discussed to put the study in perspective. Market performance of three leading firms: MTN, Airtel and Globacom constitute the dependent variable measured on a 5-point likert scale. In total, 900 questionnaire forms were distributed to customers of the three ISP firms, in Edo, Delta and Anambra States, first using stratified sampling where 300 forms were administered on each firm adopting an accidental sampling method to each stratum. Regression technique was deployed to analyse the sample gathered. Outcomes suggest a positive relationship between the predictor variables and marketing performance. E-service quality, internet-enabled CRM and Mobile CRM proved sufficiently influential to market performance of ISP firms sampled. ANOVA statistics was used to ascertain the differences of means along the predictor variables and market performance. Outcome reveal no significant difference in means, however Duncan test was applied to determine how the means are separated. Only the factor of web-based CRM was separated across the firms sampled, it was also the factor that was not significant at 0.05%. The implication is that Web-based CRM is not yet popular but the other three are gaining increased usage. All three null hypotheses were rejected. The study suggests the increase use of the factors revealed to be significant and the increase in the use of web-based factor. It was also suggested that other factors be integrated into the statistical model which is adjudged weak. Lastly more studies on CRM are advised to help integrate its usage into the operations of Nigeria business enterprises.