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IMDS
115,4
Evaluating effects of
mobile CRM on employees’
performance
740 Changsu Kim
Received 29 August 2014
School of Business, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
Revised 27 November 2014 In-Seok Lee
9 January 2015
Accepted 11 January 2015 Sktelecom Customer Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Tao Wang
School of Economic Information Engineering,
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu,
China, and
Mirsobit Mirusmonov
College of Commerce and Business Administration,
Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine employees’ personal performance after mobile
customer relationship management (m-CRM) use based on an updated model of information system
(IS) success. The authors also investigate whether personal performance of employees varies according
to the period of m-CRM use.
Design/methodology/approach – Bootstrapping is employed to analyze data collected from
a survey of firms using m-CRM. The survey targeted executives and staff members in departments
related to the development and application of m-CRM systems.
Findings – The results indicate that some of the factors had no significant effect on employees’
personal performance through employee satisfaction and system use as mediators. Overall, however,
the three types of quality had significant effects on employees’ personal performance through
employee satisfaction and system use.
Practical implications – The study provides a number of strategies that managers or executives
might deploy within organizations to improve employees’ personal performance through the
implementation of m-CRM systems. It is of paramount importance for managers or executives
to develop m-CRM systems that provide high-quality information and service including
sufficient customer-based analysis, up-to-date customer information, barrier-free design and
personalized service.
Originality/value – It is the first study to empirically test the role of m-CRM characteristics in
predicting employees’ personal performance. This study will not only add contribution to the
DeLone and McLean’s theory, but also contribute to the IS literature in IS success. The findings will

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the insightful reviews and suggestions from
Dr Alain Chong and anonymous reviewers on the earlier versions of this paper. Their comments
have improved the paper considerably. This work has been supported by the Major Program of
National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.91218301, No.71090402), the Fundamental
Industrial Management & Data Research Funds for the Central Universities ( JBK150132, JBK120505), the National Natural
Systems Science Foundation of China (No.71302186, No.71371157). Revised: Acknowledgements: This
Vol. 115 No. 4, 2015
pp. 740-764 work was supported by the 2012 Yeungnam University Research Grant, the Fundamental
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
Research Funds for the Central Universities (No.JBK120505, No.JBK150132), the National Natural
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-08-2014-0245 Science Foundation of China (No.71303191).
also provide useful insights for guiding managers or executives in formulating and executing Effects of
effective strategies to enhance the level of m-CRM use and employee satisfaction which in turn
promote personal performance. mobile CRM
Keywords Employee satisfaction, m-CRM, Personal performance, System use
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction 741
In the last few years, customer relationship management (CRM) has been identified as
one of the most promising technological innovations in the business domain for having
the immense potential to enhance employee’s work efficiency and facilitate the
interaction with customers (Li and Mao, 2012). After years of development, CRM has
drawn increased attention from both industries and research organizations. In the age
of mobile communications, innovation and change have been viewed to play a pivotal
role in business success, and in this context, the mobile revolution represented by
smartphones represents a new paradigm of enterprise management. Because an
intrinsic attribute of mobile devices is the dynamic movement, there is increasing
demand for mobile customer relationship management (m-CRM) to integrate online and
offline CRM because of its characteristics such as mobility and ubiquity (Mirbagheri
and Hejazinia, 2010). For firms, m-CRM overcomes existing traditional CRM limitations
such as obtaining customer information through face-to-face interactions and wired
networks by enabling the ability to easily obtain customer information anytime,
anywhere. In addition, employees can benefit from rapid and continuous information
updates and engage in real-time marketing. For improved personal performance, the
adoption of m-CRM channels through the use of mobile applications has received
increasing attention. However, previous studies have mainly focussed on the customer
side and generally proposed research models based on the technology acceptance
model, ignoring the role of m-CRM characteristics in personal performance (Karjaluoto
et al., 2014). To address the limitations in previous m-CRM research, this study adopts
Delone and Mclean’s (2003) model of information system (IS) success as the theoretical
foundation for revealing factors shaping m-CRM personal performance. The study has
the following two main objectives: first, by drawing from previous research on
potential determinants of m-CRM success, the study investigates whether customer
segmentation, customer information integration, system extensibility, system flexibility,
immediacy, and personalization influence employee’s personal performance via user
satisfaction and system use. In addition, previous studies have indicated that a firm’s
long-term strategy is a crucial factor influencing its CRM success (Vazifehdust and
Shahnavazi, 2012). A short-term organizational culture can be a direct obstacle to the
promotion of CRM. Therefore, a comparative analysis of customers’ personal
performance based on the amount of time elapsed since the introduction of
m-CRM can contribute to the development of m-CRM (LaValle and Scheld, 2004). In this
regard, the study investigates whether personal performance varies according to the
period of m-CRM use.
To achieve these two objectives, a literature review was conducted to identify the
constructs examined in our research model. Because research on m-CRM is still in
a preliminary stage, therefore, an extended range of relevant studies was reviewed,
including literature on CRM, IS success. Finally, the DeLone and McLean’s (2003) model
was employed as the basic theoretical foundation to construct a theoretical framework
that focusses on three dimensions: information quality, system quality, and service
quality. To test the model, structural equation modeling was employed to analyze data
IMDS collected from 217 respondents in South Korean firms which implemented m-CRM
115,4 systems. The findings provide a theoretical foundation for academics and also practical
guidelines for managers or executives in dealing with the successful implementation
of m-CRM.
From a theoretical perspective, this is the first study to empirically test the role of
m-CRM characteristics in predicting employees’ personal performance. This study will
742 not only add contribution to the DeLone and McLean’s model, but also contribute to the
IS literature in IS success. From a practical perspective, the findings will provide useful
insights for guiding managers or executives in formulating and executing effective
strategies to enhance the level of m-CRM use and user satisfaction which in turn
promote personal performance.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows: Section 2 provides the theoretical
foundation for IS success and m-CRM characteristics. Section 3 describes the research
model and hypotheses, and Section 4 introduces the research method. Section 5
discusses the empirical analysis, and Section 6 concludes with theoretical and
practical implications.

2. Theoretical background
2.1 m-CRM
m-CRM has been defined as “communication, either one-way or interactive, which is
related to sales, marketing, and customer service activities conducted through the
mobile medium for the purpose of building and maintaining customer relationship
between a company and its customer” (Sinisalo et al., 2007; Karjaluoto et al., 2014).
m-CRM can overcome existing CRM limitations in obtaining customer information
(Schierholz et al., 2007; Josiassen et al., 2014; Khodakarami and Chan, 2014). For example,
organizations that adopt m-CRM can collect and use customer information anytime,
anywhere through networks connected by the internet. In addition, it is beneficial to
establish a real-time CRM strategy by continuously accessing updated information
anytime, anywhere (Chae and Kim, 2003). Therefore, m-CRM expands the CRM channel
and the boundary of CRM through the effective management of marketing networks
(Schierholz et al., 2007; Khodakarami and Chan, 2014). In other words, the drawback of
the separation between information collection and marketing channels can be easily
solved by using the wireless internet, which provides a direct channel for customer
responses. Further, immediate feedback is possible through sending and receiving
customer information on a real-time basis. These characteristics of m-CRM can
substantially increase satisfaction (Peltier et al., 2012).
Based on previous research, this study defines m-CRM as a CRM activity based on
the formation of two-way relationships with customers through real-time customer
experience information obtained from knowledge of customers’ tendencies, locations,
purchase information, and needs based on the use of mobile channels.

2.2 IS success
In the IS literature, a variety of models have been presented to address the use of ISs
(Garrido-Moreno and Padilla-Meléndez, 2011; Kim et al., 2012). Some of them have
focussed on the notion of IS adoption (e.g. TAM, TAM2, UTAUT, UTAUT2, etc.), while
others have focussed on the measurement of IS success or effectiveness (e.g. Delone and
Mclean’s success model, etc.). Among these, DeLone and McLean (1992) comprehensively
reviewed the different IS success measures and proposed a six-factor IS success model
as a taxonomy and framework for measuring the complex-dependent variables in IS Effects of
research. This model is a framework for conceptualizing and evaluating IS success mobile CRM
based on previous theoretical research as well as on empirical studies in the field of the
MIS (Delone and McLean, 1992). DeLone and McLean (2003) proposed an updated
model by considering changes in the role of ISs and related issues. The key difference
between the two models is that because of the expansion of users’ computer
environments, the role of the IS field has shifted from a simple information provider 743
who develops ISs to a service provider operating ISs. Reflecting this shift, the new model
incorporates service quality. In addition, the new model replaces the combination of
individual and organizational impacts in the first model with a new variable for net benefits
because of the shift in research purposes and situations (Delone and McLean, 2003).
As shown in Figure 1, the new model of IS success suggests that system quality,
information quality, and service quality have considerable influence on system use and
user satisfaction and thus on individual and organizational performance (Vazifehdust
and Shahnavazi, 2012).
We assume that the DeLone and McLean’s updated IS success model can be adapted
to the system success measurement in the m-CRM context because this model was
originally built to ease managing IS activities in organizations by measuring the
quality of delivered systems and addressing the central concern of IS success
and effectiveness in the workplace (Delone and Mclean, 2003). In addition, Delone and
Mclean’s model has also been considered applicable for studying IS effectiveness at the
individual level (Delone and Mclean, 2003). While Delone and Mclean’s model has
received much attention among researchers, little research has been conducted to assess
the effectiveness of m-CRM systems. There is a need to investigate whether traditional IS
success models can be applied to m-CRM context. Hence, this study aims to determine the
relationship between m-CRM quality and personal performance in an organizational
context based on the framework of the model of Delone and Mclean’s IS success,
which reveals the relationship between IS quality and net benefits (Garrido-Moreno and
Padilla-Meléndez, 2011). Based on the literature review, this study establishes the
variables for information quality, system quality, and service quality, which are the core
characteristics of m-CRM. In addition, the study provides an empirical analysis of the
effects of these three types of quality on personal performance in the m-CRM context.

Information Quality

Use
(Intention to Use)

System Quality Net Benefits

User Satisfaction
Figure 1.
DeLone and
Service Quality McLean’s (2003)
model of IS success
IMDS 2.3 Information quality, system quality, and service quality
115,4 IS research began with the advent of computers and has witnessed a substantial
transformation since the emergence of IT. Based on physical components in the field of
computer science, IS quality has been examined from hardware, software, network, and
database perspectives, among others. Many studies have examined quality indicators
and measurement items for each area (DeLone and McLean, 2003). The present study sets
744 m-CRM as a type of IS and discusses IS quality from three perspectives, namely
information quality, system quality, and service quality (Pitt et al., 1995; DeLone and
McLean, 2003).
Information quality refers to the quality of information produced by a system.
Many researchers have attempted to devise methods for identifying and measuring
information quality (DeLone and McLean, 2003). Information quality is related
to the efficiency and satisfaction of employees who use ISs as well as to employers’
decision-making quality. Recently, the range of IS users has expanded to external CRM
users. In addition, information quality has a direct effect on the financial performance
of organizations, and therefore many have argued the increasing importance of
information quality (DeLone and McLean, 2003). Accuracy is an obvious factor that
can be used to measure information quality, but it depends on the level of information
use and its purpose, and various attributes from the employee’s perspective
(e.g. understandability, reliability, timeliness, and usefulness) can be set as evaluation
indicators.
In the model of IS success, in addition to information quality, system
quality is proposed to influence IS use and user satisfaction. DeLone and McLean
(2003) found that system quality is related to e-business success and included
adaptability, availability, reliability, the response time, and system convenience in
system quality. Mckinney et al. (2002) defined system quality as connectivity,
interface ease, navigation efficiency, and system interactivity to examine web
services and pointed out that the presence of system errors is an aspect of system
quality. According to previous research, system quality means the level
of information-processing quality in the mobile environment when using services
and/or accessing information through mobile systems such as mobile channels
and devices.
The new model of IS success adds service quality to the old one, and this change
indicates the significant impact of service quality on IS success. Information quality
and system quality can be used to evaluate the performance of the system itself, but
service quality is the most important indicator of the overall IS performance. Pitt et al.
(1995) argued that it is necessary to add service quality to the original model of IS
success and analyzed service quality (SERVQUAL). DeLone and McLean (2003) found
that service quality, including assurance, empathy, and responsiveness, has considerable
influence on e-business performance. Therefore, DeLone and McLean (2004) applied their
model of e-business success to Barnes and Noble and ME Electronics and found that both
verified that responsiveness, a crucial factor influencing service quality, has considerable
influence on user satisfaction.

2.4 m-CRM characteristics

m-CRM has involved into three main forms. The first generation of m-CRM is based on
short messaging service (SMS) and multimedia messaging service. However, many
serious defects expose in the first generation. One of the most severe problems is time
effectiveness. In addition, the query result is incomplete due to the limit of message Effects of
length. The second generation of m-CRM adopted technology based on WAP. mobile CRM
Mobile-users get access to WAP web pages through browser and achieve information
inquiry. This form partly solved the imperfection of the SMS technology. However, the
main drawback of the second generation technology is mainly reflected in the poor
capability of interaction while accessing to WAP web page, thus placing a big limit on
flexibility and convenience of m-CRM. The security of accessing to WAP web page is 745
problematic for business system which sets high requirements on system security.
The latest generation of m-CRM integrates several kinds of frontier technologies
of mobile communication, information management and computer technology,
including 3G mobile technology, smartphone APP, database synchronization, identity
authentication. This integration facilitates system security and the capability of
interaction. Consequently, the latest form provides managers with a secure and rapid
rule of implementing modern mobile technology (Karjaluoto et al., 2014). In this study,
we mainly focus on the latest form of m-CRM and attempt to identify context-specific
constructs that can better address the unique characteristics of this kind of m-CRM.
m-CRM entails activities based on the mobile internet, not on the original stationary
internet (Chae and Kim, 2003). Cunningham and Song (2007) mentioned that the core of
m-CRM involves handled devices. In addition, m-CRM has the following characteristics:
first, the ubiquity of m-CRM that supports real-time information searches and
communication regardless of the employee’s location reflect the most salient
advantage of mobile devices (Tojib and Tsarenko, 2012). Unlike in the case of the
movement-restricted online environment based on PCs, the mobile environment allows
individuals to exchange mobile transactions anytime, anywhere. Therefore, employees
can consume the service by accessing wireless internet networks without any time
and location constraints (Garrido-Moreno and Padilla-Meléndez, 2011). The mobile
environment can build ubiquitous relationships that make it possible to maintain close
interactions with customers anytime, anywhere (Garrido-Moreno and Padilla-Meléndez,
2011; Li and Mao, 2012).
Another characteristic of the mobile environment is situational dependency, through
which m-CRM can provide optimal information and services by synthetically considering
information on customers, including their location, personal identification, personal
background, individual preference, and purchase history as well as other types of
information extracted from the CRM database (Cooper et al., 2000; Li and Mao, 2012).
Turban et al. (2004) proposed mobility and accessibility as the most important
characteristics of mobile computing and business and suggested that mobility enables
employees to access systems through wireless networks and devices to execute real-time
business as well as to search for and process information. In addition, they pointed out
that the access problem of mobile users can restrict certain users at times and thus that it
is important to improve the accessibility of mobile services.
Sinisalo et al. (2007) summarized the characteristics of m-CRM, including flexible
communication, required authorization, cost efficiency, traceability, personalization,
familiarity, convenience, interactivity, and lean communication, among others.
Verma and Verma (2013) claimed that m-CRM enables personalized and interactive
communication with customers, thereby improving customers’ intelligence by making
employees easier to gather data on each customer. This permits employees to
understand customer needs better and develop suitable responses as well as to improve
interactions with customers by retaining a record of their inquiries, transactions,
complaints, and problems solved.
IMDS 3. Research model and hypotheses
115,4 3.1 Research model
As shown in Figure 2, this study formulates the research model based on DeLone and
McLean’s (2003) model of IS success. In the context of m-CRM, the study explores the
effects of the core quality characteristics of m-CRM on personal performance through
the mediating effects of user satisfaction and system use. In our research model,
746 we also controlled for the effects of organization type, number of employees, and
sales volume on personal performance. Since service was the largest industry in our
sample, we controlled for organization type by using a dummy variable (service vs
non-service firms). Sales volume and number of employees were captured as items in
our survey questionnaire.

3.2 Research hypotheses

To empirically analyze the variables in the proposed research model, this study
establishes various hypotheses about the relationships between the major variables
proposed in previous research.
3.2.1 Information quality. As indicated in DeLone and McLean (2003), information
quality is closely related to attributes of information, including accuracy, details, and
relations. In addition, information quality can improve user satisfaction. It is important
to enhance information accuracy, details, and relationships for a high level of
information quality. Many CRM studies have explored efficient ways to improve
information quality.
Previous research has suggested a need to construct a customer database for firms
in the context of m-CRM to efficiently acquire customer information (Sinisalo et al.,
2007). In addition, customer segmentation is helpful in the customization of products
and services by the justification of resource allocation (Aeron et al., 2012). Previous
studies have shown that customer segmentation can substantially improve staff’s
satisfaction (Garver, 2009). The segmentation of customer groups has been suggested
as an m-CRM strategy (Schierholz et al., 2007).

Information quality Control variables

Customer segmentation H1 Organization type Sales volume Number of employees

Customer information
H2
integration

User satisfaction
System quality

System extensibility H3
Personal
performance
System flexibility H4

System use
Service quality
H5
Immediacy
H7
H6 Moderator
Personalization
Figure 2.
The period of m-CRM use
Research model
Some major characteristics of enterprise CRM tools, including customer data Effects of
integration, have been verified to play crucial roles in information integration. mobile CRM
One intangible benefit of m-CRM is increased satisfaction in employee sides (Chen and
Chen, 2004). Information integration has been found to be useful for conducting
customer analyses to obtain high work efficiency (Norman, 2012) and can provide
a comprehensive understanding of customer data, thereby adding value to employee
performance (Schloetzer, 2012), particularly under uncertain environments 747
(Wei et al., 2012). Based on the literature review, information quality (specifically in
the context of m-CRM), customer segmentation, and customer information integration
may influence user satisfaction and system use.
In addition, previous studies have pointed out that the level of system use can have
considerable influence on user satisfaction as well as outcomes of mobile commerce
(DeLone and McLean, 2003; Martín et al., 2012). The results of an empirical analysis of
ERP indicate a significant positive relationship between user satisfaction and user
performance. In many other areas, user satisfaction has been verified to be critical for
final performance (Delone and Mclean, 2003; Steven et al., 2012). Based on this line of
reasoning, we propose the following hypotheses:
H1. The effect of customer segmentation on personal performance is mediated by
user satisfaction and system use.
H2. The effect of customer information integration on personal performance is
mediated by user satisfaction and system use.
3.2.2 System quality. DeLone and McLean (2003) showed a positive relationship
between system quality and user satisfaction. System quality refers to convenience,
flexibility, reliability, accessibility, and suitability, among others. Therefore, as part of
system quality, both system extensibility and flexibility may be positively related to
user satisfaction and system use.
m-CRM data and systems are more complex and changeable because there are
more customization requirements for CRM (Kabak and Dogac, 2010). In addition,
Sinisalo et al. (2007) pointed that because some mobile devices cannot be accessed
through wireless networks, the system needs to be extended under such situations.
However, few studies have discussed the extensibility of m-CRM. On the other hand, in
other contexts such as conferencing systems and modify-on-access file systems, the
significant effect of extensibility has been verified. Overcoming some challenges in
the extensibility of systems can improve systems, particularly in complex situations
(Li and Mao, 2012). Other advantages of improving system extensibility include an
increase in the system speed, which is crucial for real-time services.
For large firms, m-CRM systems may be built separately by affiliate firms, and
therefore the flexibility of m-CRM has to be improved to use m-CRM systems
(Schierholz et al., 2007). In addition, ISs need to be flexible to fit various types of
businesses and technological innovations. Previous studies have highlighted a positive
relationship between IS flexibility and the user’s perspective (Ramaraj, 2010).
In addition, as noted earlier, previous empirical studies have indicated that system
use and user satisfaction directly affects final performance (Delone and Mclean, 2003;
Ramaraj, 2010). To this point, we assume that system extensibility and flexibility
influences personal performance indirectly through system use and user satisfaction.
Based on this rationale, the following hypotheses are suggested:
IMDS H3. The effect of system extensibility on personal performance is mediated by user
115,4 satisfaction and system use.
H4. The effect of system flexibility on personal performance is mediated by user
satisfaction and system use.
3.2.3 Service quality. One of the most important difference between the original model
748 of IS success and the updated one is the addition of service quality. DeLone and
McLean (2003) found that IS service quality can improve user satisfaction and use in
the e-commerce context. If CRM service efforts are compatible with employees’
expectations, such implementation is expected to increase their satisfaction (Kim et al.,
2012). In the telecommunications industry, previous research has found that, along
with technology quality, service quality should also be emphasized for user satisfaction
and system use (Lalitha and Prasad, 2012).
For factors influencing service quality, a report on mobile commerce by Dulacher
Research indicated timeliness as a key success factor in m-commerce and mentioned
that mobility enables the transmission and use of time-sensitive information because
the value is inherent in its immediate delivery and a delayed information transmission
can incur a substantial opportunity cost. Therefore, service immediacy can improve user
satisfaction. Unlike the stationary internet, the mobile internet provides the user with
instant connections to the internet anywhere, anytime. In addition, the mobile internet is
portable, and its processing time is always less (Chae and Kim, 2003). In the context of
financial service use through mobile phones, immediacy has been found to be an
important factor influencing user satisfaction. Other studies have included the
environment of social media and financial trading.
On the other hand, from the user’s perspective, wireless internet devices are usually
more personal and individual than stationary ones (Chae and Kim, 2003). For example,
in location-based services supplied by mobile devices, personalization, and customization
can substantially increase their value from both web use and user satisfaction (Kim and
Lee, 2009; Shin et al., 2011).
The reason that ISs are implemented is to provide some type of benefit to users.
For an m-CRM system, the satisfaction that employees have with it should value the
system more highly and perceive a stronger benefit from using it. Thus, we assumed
that immediacy and personalization increase user satisfaction and system use, which,
in turn, increase personal performance of employees. In this regard, the following
hypotheses are proposed:
H5. The effect of immediacy on personal performance is mediated by user
satisfaction and system use.
H6. The effect of personalization on personal performance is mediated by user
satisfaction and system use.
3.2.4 The moderating effect of the period of m-CRM use, organization types and sales
volume. At the organizational level, CRM adoption is not only the simple acceptance of
a technology but also an important change in the organizational culture that causes the
focus to shift from a product-oriented view to a customer-oriented one. Then a long
period of organization culture establishment is necessary for this change (Smith, 2006).
In addition, previous studies have indicated that this long-term strategy is a crucial
factor influencing CRM success (Vazifehdust and Shahnavazi, 2012). At least two to
three years of operation after the establishment of CRM are required before it stabilizes. Effects of
A short-term organizational culture can be a direct obstacle to the promotion of CRM mobile CRM
(LaValle and Scheld, 2004). At the individual level, theory suggests that behavior is
likely to be affected by cognition, which includes individuals’ beliefs, attitude, and
knowledge about their environment. According to Bhattacherjee and Premkumar (2004),
cognitions are generally more easily changed than behaviors, especially under
circumstances where users lack complete will of their behavior. Over time, user 749
cognitions reach a steady-state balance, as they become more realistic and entrenched in
observed behaviors. Applying this to our study, in the beginning of m-CRM
implementation, employees do not have complete volition over their behavior, but in
the post-implementation phase, the level of m-CRM usage is mainly dependent on them.
Thus, the intensity of the interrelations of the variables which make up our research
model may change over time because the employee accumulates an experience which
influences the perception of each variable and its influence on another one. Therefore, a
comparative analysis of employees’ personal performance based on the amount of time
elapsed since the introduction of m-CRM can contribute to the development of m-CRM. In
this regard, the following hypotheses are proposed:
H7. The period of m-CRM use positively moderates the relationships among
information quality, system quality, service quality, and personal performance.
4. Research methods
4.1 Operational definitions and measures
To measure the variables, the questionnaire items were modified to fit this study based
on verified constructs from previous research. As shown in Table I, the measurement
items were developed based on previous research, and their operational definitions
were determined in terms of information quality, system quality, and service quality as
well as user satisfaction, system use, and personal performance.

4.2 Questionnaire and data collection

Based on previous mobile- and CRM-related research, a questionnaire composed of
items for the constructs in the research model was developed. Various items from
previous research were modified and applied to this study to increase their reliability
and validity, and they were measured using a five-point Likert-type scale.
A pilot survey and individual interviews were conducted over a two-week period
(July 1 to 15, 2013) to modify or delete those items that were too difficult to understand
or confusing. For this, experts above the level of the section chief with some m-CRM
experience were employed.
The questionnaire focussed mainly on the respondent’s general background, m-CRM
quality, m-CRM effects, and their personal performance. The demographic characteristics
included the type of business, the number of employees, turnover, the amount of
m-CRM investment, the period of m-CRM use, the education level, and the position.
Here m-CRM quality, m-CRM effects, and personal performance were measured using
a five-point Likert-type scale.
South Korea was selected as the site of this empirical analysis because the wireless
infrastructure required for m-CRM development was already in place. According to
a Korea IT Times report, South Korea ranked first in the penetration ratio for the
high-speed wireless internet among OECD countries for three consecutive years
(2011-2013). Such favorable conditions have provided a solid foundation for m-CRM
IMDS Variables Operational definitions Items References
115,4
Information quality
Customer The segmentation of The extent to which customer Sinisalo et al. (2007),
segmentation customers based on databases are analyzed Schierholz et al. (2007)
database and value The extent to which customer
analyses segmentation is based on the
750 analysis of customer value
The extent to which the model
is constructed based on a
customer analysis system (DW,
data mining, OLAP)
The extent to which customers
are analyzed and profiled for
discovering potential customers
Customer The integration of The extent to which integrated Chen and Chen (2004),
information customer data and management is employed for Norman (2012),
integration information customer data from related Schloetzer (2012)
sectors
The extent to which integrated
management is employed for
customer contact files
The extent to which customer
data standards are established
The extent to which customer
data are updated and managed
on a real-time basis
System quality
System The level of m-CRM The extent to which system Sinisalo et al. (2007),
extensibility system extensibility modules can be extended Schierholz et al. (2007)
The extent to which databases
can be extended
The extent to which networks
can be extended
The extent to which systems
can be updated and extended
System flexibility The level of The extent to which Chen and Chen (2004),
accessibility to information on customers and Ramaraj (2010)
customer and employees can be accessed
employee information The extent to which the system
and the level of their can be integrated with other
integration/exchange CRM channels
with other channels The extent to which the system
can be exchanged between
m-CRM systems
The extent to which m-CRM
and other CRM channels can be
organically integrated
Service quality
Immediacy The acquisition of The extent to which Dulacher Research,
real-time information information searches can Chae and Kim (2003)
by using m-CRM be done by employees on
anywhere, anytime a real-time basis
Table I.
Operational
definitions and items (continued )
Variables Operational definitions Items References
Effects of
mobile CRM
The extent to which
information can be accessed by
employees anytime, anywhere
The extent to which necessary
information can be acquired
by employees anytime, 751
anywhere
The extent to which m-CRM is
used based on mobile devices
anytime, anywhere
Personalization The level of suitable The extent to which suitable Shin et al. (2011), Kim
personalized service services are provided to and Lee (2009), Li and
for employees employees Mao (2012)
The extent to which special
employees are provided with
services in a responsive manner
The extent to which useful
information is provided to
employees
The extent to which services
are provided based on the latest
employee information
User satisfaction The level of employee The level of m-CRM system Gustafsson et al.
satisfaction based on satisfaction (2005), Mithas et al.
m-CRM The level of m-CRM system (2005), Feinberg and
excellence Kadam (2002)
The level of m-CRM use
The extent to which m-CRM is
recommended to others
System use The level of m-CRM The extent to which m-CRM is Kim and Narasimhan
use for various frequently used for various (2002), Hung et al.
functions functions (2010)
The extent to which the m-CRM
system is accessed
The extent to which m-CRM is
used in own work
The extent to which m-CRM is
used voluntarily
Personal Employees’ perception The extent to which the Chen and Chen (2004),
performance of tangible and processing rate improves for Eid (2007), Ku (2010),
intangible personal own jobs Martín et al. (2012),
performance based on The extent to which Steven et al. (2012)
m-CRM use job-processing accuracy
improves
The extent to which the quality
of own decision making
improves
The extent to which the
efficiency of the processing
method improves for
own jobs
The extent to which own job
performance improves Table I.
IMDS implementation in South Korea. This study focusses on the m-CRM performance
115,4 of South Korean firms. For this, empirical samples were collected through a survey of
firms using m-CRM. The survey targeted executives and staff members in departments
related to the development and application of m-CRM systems. The survey was
conducted over a three-month period from July 18 to October 16, 2013.
A total of 1,800 questionnaires were distributed by e-mail, fax, and/or direct visits to
752 firms such as SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+ as well as to those making use of m-CRM
and registered with the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (www.korcham.net)
and the Korea Contact Center Association (www.contact-center.or.kr).
For the e-mail survey, the purpose of the study and survey details were explained, and
the questionnaire was attached. For direct visits, face-to-face interviews were conducted
with departments related to m-CRM and people who were in charge of using m-CRM.
To maximize the response rate, reminder e-mail messages were sent every two weeks
after the questionnaire was sent by e-mail. One marked questionnaire was collected for
each firm through consultation with relevant departments. A total of 263 responses
(a 14.6 percent collection rate) were collected, and a total of 217 responses (an 82.5 percent
available rate) were used for the final empirical analysis after 46 were excluded for invalid
responses or missing data. In addition, the e-mail survey was explained and described in
detail in terms of research objects and survey content. However, m-CRM is a new research
topic, and therefore the low feedback may be explained by people’s lack of m-CRM
interest and understanding.

5. Empirical analysis
5.1 Demographic characteristics
As shown in Table II, 35 percent of the respondents were from the service sector, and
those from banking/insurance and telecommunications also accounted for large
portions of the responses (18.9 and 18 percent, respectively). Medium-sized and
large firms accounted for a majority of the respondents, and 54.4 percent invested more
than 30,000 US dollars in m-CRM. Noteworthy is that 10.1 percent invested more than
one million US dollars in m-CRM. Many firms engaged in m-CRM for more than three
years (26.7 percent), and 27.6 percent showed high profitability (more than 500 million
US dollars). Most employees responsible for m-CRM had a college degree
(77.4 percent) and were section chiefs (32.3 percent). The results for the distribution
of the respondents provide confidence in terms of the quality of data collected from
high-level representatives.
Because m-CRM is a CRM tool based on mobile IT, information and communications
firms as well as industries that depend on robust mobile infrastructure systems, such
as service providers and financial services and insurance firms, had much higher
response rates in the survey. In addition, more feedback was received from assistant
managers, department managers, and general managers because of the direct
relationship between m-CRM and their operations.

5.2 Reliability and validity analysis

Nunnally (1978) proposed 0.70 as the recommended threshold for Cronbach’s α.
An item for a construct not consistent with other items is dropped to increase construct
reliability. In this study, some items were dropped (Table III), and as a result,
Cronbach’s α for all the variables with multiple items ranged from 0.877 to 0.926,
exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.70 and suggesting sufficient reliability.
Category Freq. Ratio (%) Category Freq. Ratio (%)
Effects of
mobile CRM
Types m-CRM investment (in US dollars)
Manufacturing 21 9.7 o30,000 99 45.6
Finance/insurance 41 18.9 30-59,000 33 15.2
Information technology 39 18.0 60-99,000 23 10.6
Trade/distribution 15 6.9 100-499,000 26 12.0
Medical 17 7.8 500-999,000 14 6.5 753
Service 76 35.0 Over 1 million 22 10.1
Other 8 3.7
Period of m-CRM use
Number of employees o6 months 25 11.5
Fewer than 100 17 7.8 o1 year 30 13.8
100-299 24 11.1 o1.5 years 9 4.1
300-499 38 17.5 o2 years 45 20.7
500-999 39 18.0 o3 years 50 23.0
1,000-2,999 34 15.7 More than 3 years 58 26.7
3,000-4,999 32 14.7 Education
More than 5,000 33 15.2 Less than high school 9 4.1
Sales (in US dollars) College degree 168 77.4
o1 million 16 7.4 Graduate school 6 2.8
1-5 million 11 5.1 Graduate degree 34 15.7
5-10 million 22 10.1
Position
10-50 million 40 18.4
Staff 18 8.3
50-100 million 28 12.9
Assistant Manager 35 16.1
100-500 million 40 18.4
Section chief 70 32.3
More than 500 million 60 27.6
Manager 42 19.4 Table II.
General Manager 23 10.6 Demographic
Executive (Director) 29 13.4 characteristics

Variable Item no. Removed variable Cronbach’s α

Customer segmentation 4 Segmentation 4 0.881

Customer information integration 4 Integration 3 0.926
System extensibility 4 Extensibility 4 0.922
System flexibility 4 Flexibility 1 0.904
Immediacy 4 – 0.923
Personalization 4 Personalization 2 0.921
User satisfaction 4 Satisfaction 1 0.877
System use 4 Use 4 0.923 Table III.
Personal performance 5 Performance 3 0.885 Reliability test

To examine validity, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the

measurement variables. Here various fit indices, including the GFI, the AGFI, the
NFI, the CFI, the TLI, the RMR, and the RMSEA, were used to evaluate the goodness of
fit of the model. In general, when the standardized regression weight exceeds 0.5 for
each factor, there is sufficient construct validity (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988).
The standard average variance extracted (AVE) is suggested to be greater than 0.5,
and reliability, to be over 0.7 (Hair et al., 1998; Fornell and Larcker, 1981). The results
IMDS provide evidence that all the constructs were homogeneous, suggesting sufficient
115,4 convergent validity. Table IV shows the results of an additional confirmatory factor
analysis. All of the factor loadings for the items exceed the recommended level and are
significant at p o 0.001, no items have cross-loadings above 0.4.
Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the square root of the AVE with the
correlation coefficient between constructs. There is sufficient discriminant validity
754 when the square root of the AVE exceeds this correlation coefficient (Fornell and
Larcker, 1981). As shown in Table V, the square root of the AVE for each construct
exceeded the correlation coefficient for other constructs, suggesting sufficient
discriminant validity between the constructs.

5.3 Evaluation of the model and hypotheses

5.3.1 Model fit. A path analysis using AMOS 16.0 was conducted to test the model fit
and hypotheses. The fit was evaluated using various fit indices, including as the
χ2 ratio, the GFI, the AGFI, the NFI, the CFI, the TLI, the RMR, and the RMSEA.
The χ2 ratio (2.094) was less than 3.0, and although the GFI (0.889) and the AGFI
(0.868) were marginal, the results generally indicate that the proposed model

Factor Standardized t- Construct

Variable Items weights weights Error value SMC reliability AVE

Customer Segm1 1.000 0.862 0.194 – 0.743 0.908 0.714

segmentation Segm2 0.952 0.863 0.175 15.688 0.744
Segm3 0.981 0.809 0.284 14.302 0.655
Customer information Inte1 1.000 0.899 0.146 – 0.809 0.942 0.813
integration Inte2 1.067 0.939 0.094 21.751 0.883
Inte4 1.009 0.866 0.209 18.463 0.751
System extensibility Exte1 1.000 0.875 0.209 – 0.766 0.933 0.802
Exte2 1.091 0.942 0.104 19.699 0.887
Exte3 0.948 0.867 0.203 17.426 0.753
System flexibility Flex2 1.000 0.841 0.228 – 0.707 0.922 0.872
Flex3 1.072 0.888 0.169 16.072 0.789
Flex4 1.098 0.886 0.181 16.035 0.786
Immediacy Imme1 1.000 0.855 0.224 – 0.731 0.931 0.756
Imme2 1.190 0.930 0.134 18.995 0.866
Imme3 1.075 0.872 0.221 16.927 0.760
Imme4 1.012 0.817 0.310 15.114 0.667
Personalization Pers1 1.000 0.845 0.202 – 0.714 0.946 0.893
Pers3 1.061 0.916 0.108 17.793 0.840
Pers4 1.036 0.918 0.101 17.841 0.843
User satisfaction Sati2 1.000 0.800 0.248 – 0.639 0.908 0.840
Sati3 1.109 0.844 0.218 13.857 0.712
Sati4 1.167 0.876 0.181 14.135 0.767
System use Infl1 1.000 0.851 0.188 – 0.725 0.945 0.896
Infl2 1.160 0.964 0.051 20.059 0.929
Infl3 1.078 0.874 0.178 17.126 0.763
Personal performance Perf1 1.000 0.812 0.223 – 0.659 0.927 0.812
Perf2 0.884 0.776 0.223 12.492 0.602
Table IV. Perf4 0.972 0.806 0.220 13.129 0.649
Validity test Perf5 1.007 0.854 0.163 14.126 0.729
 Effects of
Scale 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
mobile CRM
1. Customer segmentation 0.845
2. Customer information integration 0.637 0.902
3. System extensibility 0.400 0.406 0.895
4. System flexibility 0.504 0.430 0.493 0.934
5. Immediacy 0.690 0.563 0.363 0.475 0.869 755
6. Personalization 0.591 0.517 0.289 0.417 0.609 0.945
7. User satisfaction 0.647 0.514 0.344 0.578 0.641 0.572 0.917
8. System use 0.700 0.685 0.350 0.437 0.649 0.597 0.549 0.947
9. Personal performance 0.612 0.420 0.368 0.498 0.596 0.549 0.676 0.598 0.901 Table V.
Note: Numbers along the diagonal indicate the square root of the AVE Discriminant validity

provided a satisfactory fit to the data (NFI ¼ 0.931, CFI ¼ 0.984, TLI ¼ 0.983,
RMR ¼ 0.31, RMSEA ¼ 0.32), suggesting its appropriateness for hypothesis testing
(Hair et al., 1998).
5.3.2 Common method bias test. We conducted two tests to assess the potential
common method bias of our self-reported data. First, we performed a Harman’s single-
factor test by loading all of the items in this study into an exploratory factor analysis
(Podsakoff et al., 2003). The results indicate that the largest variance explained by an
individual construct is 11.2 percent. None of the constructs can account for more than
percent of the covariance. Second, we added a general method factor in the model and
compared with the original measurement model to further examine the common
method bias. The general method factor included all the principal variables’ indicators
and calculated each indicator’s variance substantively explained by the principal
variables and by the method. The results of statistical analyses indicate that the
principal variables loading are all significant, but the general method factor loadings
are all not significant. The results of both tests show that common method variance is
not a problem in our research.
5.3.3 Structural model. In order to find the best model, we assessed three alternative
models. First, a partially mediated model (Model 1) with two mediators (system use and
user satisfaction) and six direct paths from customer segmentation, customer
information integration, system extensibility, system flexibility, immediacy and
personalization to personal performance revealed a good fit to the data. However, the
path coefficients from customer segmentation ( β ¼ 0.021, t ¼ 0.065, p W 0.05), customer
information integration (β ¼ 0.104, t ¼ 0.521, p W 0.05), system extensibility ( β ¼ 0.014,
t ¼ 0.153, p W 0.05), system flexibility ( β ¼ 0.074, t ¼ 1.057, p W 0.05), immediacy
( β ¼ 0.041, t ¼ 1.363, p W 0.05) and personalization ( β ¼ 0.062, t ¼ 1.078, p W0.05) to
personal performance were not significant. Thus, a fully mediated model (Model 2) was
tested subsequently with these six paths constrained to zero, which showed a good fit
to the data: χ2(698) ¼ 1,481.85, RMSEA ¼ 0.033, NFI ¼ 0.924, CFI ¼ 0.984, TLI ¼ 0.982,
RMR ¼ 0.032. The test result suggested that Model 2 presents better fit for the data
(Δχ2(6) ¼ 147.21, p o 0.05).
In order to find the best model, two paths (user satisfaction → system use, system
use → user satisfaction) were added to the fully mediated model (Model 3) and
the results showed a good fit to the data. When Models 2 and 3 were compared, the
significant χ2 difference (Δχ2(1) ¼ 22.64, p o 0.05) indicated that this additional path
IMDS significantly contributed to the model. The results suggested that Model 3 is better
115,4 than Model 2. Taken together, Model 3 was selected as the best model. Table VI
presents the results for the three alternative models.
5.3.4 Testing mediating effects and control effects. We tested a multiple mediation
model by using bootstrapping approach, which is suggested by Preacher and Hayes
(2008). This method allows testing for more than one mediator simultaneously.
756 Several recent papers provide conceptual and empirical evidence for the superiority of
this test over Baron and Kenny’s (1986) widely used procedure and highlight that a
significant indirect effect is the only requirement for mediation (e.g. Preacher
and Hayes, 2008). Our study used Amos 16.0 to bootstrap the indirect effects of customer
segmentation, customer information integration, system extensibility, system flexibility,
immediacy and personalization on personal performance. The bootstrap estimates
were based on 5,000 bootstrap samples. When an interval for a mediating effect contains
no zeros, then the indirect effect is significant with a 95 percent confidence level
(Preacher and Hayes, 2008).
Table VII displays the indirect effects and their associated 95 percent confidence
intervals. As shown in the table, the indirect effects of customer segmentation,
customer information integration, system flexibility, immediacy, and personalization
on personal performance via user satisfaction and system use are positive and significant,
with 95 percent confidence interval excluding zero, providing supports for H1, H2, H4,
H5, and H6. However, the indirect effect of system extensibility on personal performance
via user satisfaction and system use is not significant, providing no support for H3.
These findings emphasize the importance of user satisfaction and system use since
they fully mediate the positive effects of customer segmentation, customer information
integration, system flexibility, immediacy and personalization on personal performance.
In addition, the control effects were mostly non-significant ( βtype ¼ 0.031, t ¼ 0.473,
p ¼ 0.79; βnumber ¼ 0.064, t ¼ 0.732, p ¼ 0.58), with the exception of that of sales volume
on personal performance ( βsales ¼ 0.142, t ¼ 1.972, p o 0.01).
5.3.5 Moderating effects of the period of m-CRM use. CRM requires a change in
one’s focus from a product-oriented view to a customer-oriented one. Therefore,
it is necessary to formulate a sustainable customer-oriented organizational
culture (Smith, 2006). In this study, the moderating effects the period of m-CRM
use on the relationships between m-CRM quality and employees’ personal performance
were analyzed. As shown in Table VIII, firms were divided into two groups:
one group with more than 2.11 years of m-CRM operation (n ¼ 113) and the other with

Items Model 1 Model 2 Model 3

χ2 1,629.06 1,481.85 1,459.21

df 704 698 697
GFI 0.873 0.886 0.889
AGFI 0.854 0.857 0.868
NFI 0.915 0.924 0.931
Table VI. CFI 0.981 0.984 0.984
Fit indices among TLI 0.979 0.982 0.983
three alternative RMR 0.034 0.032 0.031
models RMSEA 0.036 0.033 0.032
 Group by the period of m-CRM use
Whole sample Shorter (n ¼ 104) Longer (n ¼ 113)
Ba 95% CIb Ba 95% CIb Ba 95% CIb
Influence relation Path Lower Upper Lower Upper Lower Upper

Indirect CS→PP 0.28* 0.041 0.576 0.26* 0.037 0.564 0.29* 0.049 0.585
Indirect CII→PP 0.16** 0.025 0.357 0.13** 0.021 0.332 0.18** 0.061 0.408
Indirect SE→PP −0.02 −0.184 0.231 −0.10* −0.195 0.227 0.01 −0.124 0.262
Indirect SF→PP 0.18** 0.043 0.487 0.15** 0.024 0.468 0.19** 0.056 0.498
Indirect IM→PP 0.24** 0.032 0.549 0.22** 0.029 0.517 0.27* 0.011 0.531
Indirect PE→PP 0.18* 0.027 0.364 0.14* 0.016 0.343 0.20** 0.009 0.347
Notes: aDenotes path coefficients; bdenotes 95 percent confidence interval; confidence intervals are bias corrected and accelerated. **,* Significance at p o0.01
and p o0.05 levels, respectively

Table VII.

indirect effects
mobile CRM
Effects of

Bootstrap results for

757
IMDS less (n ¼ 104). Here this figure was obtained by calculating the mean score of period of
115,4 m-CRM use. We set it as the point to split the groups.
H7 was partially supported. As shown in Table VII, the period of m-CRM use
was found to positively moderate most indirect links between m-CRM quality
and personal performance, except for the relationship between system extensibility
and personal performance, a possible explanation for this result is that
758 respondents with longer m-CRM use period have more than two years of m-CRM
experience and should be fully acquainted with m-CRM use, thus, satisfaction
and personal performance is not easily influenced by further repeated visits
and use.

6. Conclusions and implications

6.1 Summary
Along with advances in ICT and the rapid diffusion of smartphones, customers’ needs
have become diversified, and competition between firms has become increasingly
severe. Therefore firms are paying closer attention to CRM. In particular, in mobile
environments, m-CRM is crucial not only for firms’ growth but also for the significant
improvement of employees’ performance. For this reason, based on DeLone and
McLean’s (2003) model of IS success, this study proposed a model in the context of
m-CRM to explore the relationships between m-CRM characteristics (information
quality, system quality, and service quality) and personal performance of employees
through the full mediating effects of user satisfaction and system use. The results can
be summarized as follows.
The best model from this study indicated that m-CRM quality (system quality,
information quality, and service quality) and personal performance were fully mediated
by system use and user satisfaction. This is in line with the previous findings reporting
the mediating effect of system use and user satisfaction (e.g. Delone and Mclean, 2003).
In terms of m-CRM information quality, the mediating effects of user satisfaction and
system use suggested that customer segmentation and customer information
integration may be associated with better personal performance by promoting one’s
satisfaction and frequency of system use. Regarding m-CRM system quality, system
extensibility, a major system characteristic, had no indirect effect on personal
performance via user satisfaction and system use. The reason may be that most of
m-CRM systems consider seamless connection with Service as a Service (SaaS)
applications, the ubiquity of SaaS applications and other internet services and the
standardization of their API technology has spawned development of mashups, which
are lightweight applications that combine database, modules and functionality from
multiple services, creating a compound, and extensible service. For these reasons,
e-CRM extensibility may not be enough by itself to impress employees and thereby
promote satisfaction, use, and performance. System flexibility had a positive indirect effect
on personal performance via system use and user satisfaction. This finding means that

Constructs Number of cases Mean SD

Table VIII. All respondents 217 2.11 0.483

Result of multigroup Subgroup1 (longer m-CRM use period) 113 2.92 0.432
analysis Subgroup2 (shorter m-CRM use period) 104 1.85 0.419
easier access to information on employees as well as the better integration of CRM Effects of
with other channels will improve user satisfaction and system use, which in turn mobile CRM
affect personal performance. As to m-CRM service quality, immediacy and
personalization had significant indirect effects on personal performance via user
satisfaction and system use, providing support for H5 and H6, respectively.
The mediation effects of system use and satisfaction indicated that immediacy and
personalization increase satisfaction and system use, which, in turn, increase personal 759
performance. All these results suggested that employees are concerned with
user satisfaction and system use, even though service quality is emphasized.
Therefore, we should also maintain user satisfaction, system use rather than only
emphasizing service quality.
The results for the moderating effects of the period of m-CRM use confirmed that the
period of m-CRM use positively moderates most relationships in our research model
while it does not significantly moderate the relationship between system extensibility
and personal performance.

6.2 Implications
This study empirically analyzes the effects of m-CRM information, system, and service
characteristics on personal performance through the full mediating effects of user
satisfaction and system use and evaluates the moderating effects of the period of
m-CRM use on their relationships. The results have some important theoretical and
practical implications.
6.2.1 Theoretical implications. This study extends CRM research by developing
a new research model for investigating the relationships between m-CRM
information, system, and service characteristics and employees’ personal
performance through the full mediating effects of user satisfaction and system use
based on DeLone and Mclean’s (2003) framework. The results have the following major
theoretical implications.
First, many conceptual or empirical studies of CRM have focussed only on those
factors influencing CRM adoption and success at the enterprise level. That is, few have
provided systematic analyses of individual performance, particularly in the context of
mobile environments. Given the emergence of m-CRM as an attractive topic for firms as
a result of increasingly severe competition, this study’s research model provides a solid
theoretical foundation for further m-CRM research on m-CRM characteristics and
employees’ performance.
Second, most CRM studies have focussed mainly on offline channels and
e-CRM, and even some recent studies of m-CRM have generally considered
mobile devices as simple, separated tools. However, the present study combines
information (particularly customer-oriented information), systems, and services,
which closely reflect the unique characteristics of m-CRM, and incorporates
them into the proposed model for a systematic analysis of m-CRM characteristics,
providing a good theoretical foundation for a deeper and wider understanding of
m-CRM.
Third, the study empirically analyzes and verifies causal relationships between
m-CRM characteristics and personal performance through the full mediating effects of
user satisfaction and system use by adopting DeLone and Mclean’s (2003) model of IS
success in the m-CRM context. Here the study contributes to the literature by verifying
their framework in the context of m-CRM.
IMDS Fourth, the study evaluates the moderating effects of the period of m-CRM use on
115,4 indirect relationships between m-CRM quality and personal performance. The empirical
results reveal a moderating effect on the relationship between m-CRM quality and
personal performance, providing important theoretical implications for future research on
these moderating effects.
6.2.2 Practical implications. For managers or executives who want to improve
760 employees’ personal performance through m-CRM, The study provides a number of
strategies that they might deploy.
First of all, several determinants of user satisfaction, system use, and personal
performance received strong support across empirical studies which deserve special
managerial attention. Some of these determinants are within the control of managers or
executives. Others may be partially outside of the control of them, such as immediacy
and personalization, but managers may still be able to facilitate the some of them
across some external measures. For example, they can adopt some related assistive
tools to address the requirement of the employees on personalized services. They can
also update wireless network infrastructure to get better WIFI coverage.
Second, this model provides a rich portrayal of the dynamics surrounding m-CRM
quality measures, satisfaction evaluation, system use, and employees’ performance.
The results show that employees perceive the benefit of an m-CRM system because
they have used it and felt satisfied with information quality, system quality, and
service quality, in addition, personal performance should develop if the formation of
m-CRM characteristics, user satisfaction and system use is appropriately managed.
Practically, management attention might more fruitfully focus on the development of
these psychological and behavioral processes. In order to increase employees’ personal
performance, firms need to develop m-CRM systems with good customer segmentation,
customer information integration, system flexibility, immediacy and personalization,
which may enhance user satisfaction and system use, and in turn, will influence
personal performance.
Third, it is worth noting that only the indirect effect of system flexibility on
personal performance was significant. This may be because employees showed more
concern about information quality (e.g. customer information integration, customer
segmentation) and service quality (e.g. immediacy, personalization) than on system
quality. Given that the usage of m-CRM systems is voluntary to a certain extent in
most of firms, this study suggest that, in order to attract more employees to use m-
CRM systems and make them satisfied with the systems which in turn enhance their
personal performance, it is of paramount importance for managers or executives to
develop m-CRM systems that provide high-quality information and service including
sufficient customer-based analysis, up-to-date customer information, barrier-free
design and personalized service.

6.3 Limitations and future research

This study has some limitations. First, based on DeLone and McLean’s (2003) model of
IS success, this study focusses on the information, system, and service quality of
m-CRM, and based on a literature review, the study proposes a model with six factors
in three groups. In this regard, future research should consider a wider range of factors.
Second, the results reveal significant moderating effects of the period of m-CRM use on
various causal relationships. Therefore, future research should consider other factors
such as the level of investment and firm size as moderating variables.
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Further reading
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Business Process Management Journal, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp. 592-602.
IMDS About the authors
115,4 Dr Changsu Kim is an Associate Professor at the School of Business, Yeungnam University in
Korea. He was a Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He received his
PhD in Information Systems from the London School of Economics (LSE) in the UK. His research
interests include mobile customer relationship management, social network site, and digital
business.
Dr In-Seok Lee is working at Sktelecom Customer Center in Korea. He received his PhD in
764 Information System from the Yeungnam University in Korea. His research interests include
mobile customer relationship management, social network sites (SNS), and e-commerce.
Dr Tao Wang is an Associate Professor at the School of Economic Information Engineering,
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China. His main research interests include
information system acceptance and user behavior, electronic payment security and model,
web 2.0 and enterprise2.0 applications. Dr Tao Wang is the corresponding author and can be
contacted at: [email protected]
Dr Mirsobit Mirusmonov is an Assistant Professor at the Dhofar University in Oman.
He received his PhD in Management Information Systems from the Yeungnam University in
Korea. His current research interests include mobile shopping, mobile banking, and mobile cloud
computing.

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