ArticlePDF Available

Modeling e-CRM for Community Tourism in Upper Northeastern Thailand

Authors:

Abstract and Figures

The paper is designed to provide a quantitative measure of e-CRM for community tourism in Upper Northeastern Thailand. The purpose of this study is to develop the e-CRM model in the upper Northeast of Thailand. Specifically, the objective of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the four-factor model in e-CRM. The research mainly involves a survey design. It includes a pilot test using undergraduate business students at Udon Thani Rajabhat University for pretesting questionnaire items. In addition, this investigate into website character, website contact interactivity, shopping convenience, and care and service attributes necessitates uncovering variables of interest and this involves a large-scale field study. The data are collected via personal questionnaires from 447 samples. They include the customers of hospitality and tourism industries in 3 provinces such as Udon Thani, Nongkhai, Loei. Respondents are asked to rate, on a five-point Likert scale, their agreement or disagreement on the e-CRM attributes. LISREL program is used for data analysis since the proposed model is a simultaneous system of equations having latent constructs and multiple indicators. Quantitative data are analyzed by the statistical techniques, namely exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. It is found from the study that the effect of website character and shopping convenience, on care and service through website contact interactivity. The managerial implications are discussed.
Content may be subject to copyright.
P r o c e d i a - S o c i a l a n d B e h a v i o r a l S c i e n c e s 8 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 1 0 8 1 1 7
1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Department of Planning and Development, Kasem Bundit University - Bangkok
doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.486
ScienceDirect
Social and Behavioral Sciences Symposium, 4
th
International Science, Social Science,
Engineering and Energy Conference 2012 (I-SEEC 2012)
Modeling e-CRM for Community Tourism in Upper Northeastern
Thailand
Panithan Mekkamol
a,
*
, Sarawut Piewdang
a
, Asst.Prof.Dr. Subchat Untachai
a
a
Faculty of Management Science, Udonthani Rajabhat University, Udonthani, 41000, Thailand
Abstract
The paper is designed to provide a quantitative measure of e-CRM for community tourism in Upper Northeastern Thailand.
The purpose of this study is to develop the e-CRM model in the upper Northeast of Thailand. Specifically, the objective of
this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the four-factor model in e-CRM. The research mainly involves a survey
design. It includes a pilot test using undergraduate business students at Udon Thani Rajabhat University for pretesting
questionnaire items. In addition, this investigate into website character, website contact interactivity, shopping convenience,
and care and service attributes necessitates uncovering variables of interest and this involves a large-scale field study. The
data are collected via personal questionnaires from 447 samples. They include the customers of hospitality and tourism
industries in 3 provinces such as Udon Thani, Nongkhai, Loei. Respondents are asked to rate, on a five-point Likert scale,
their agreement or disagreement on the e-CRM attributes. LISREL program is used for data analysis since the proposed model
is a simultaneous system of equations having latent constructs and multiple indicators. Quantitative data are analyzed by the
statistical techniques, namely exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. It is found from the study that the
effect of website character and shopping convenience, on care and service through website contact interactivity. The
managerial implications are discussed.
© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Faculty of Science and Technology, Kasem Bundit University, Bangkok.
Keywords: e-CRM; Community Tourism; Exploratory Factor Analysis; Structural Equation Modeling
1. Introduction
Over the next few years, the World Wide Web (the Web) is expected to increase by a factor of , growing to
million sites by 8 The number of actual Web pages will increase even more, with existing Web sites
continuing to add pages[1]. Web sites provide the key interface for consumer use of the Internet. Online travel
website strategies dimensions were 4PsC such as product, promotion, place, and customer relationship[2-3]
The customer relationship management(CRM) referred to the managerial process that most of organizations
-
* Corresponding author. E-mail address: naikung@hotmail.com
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Department of Planning and Development, Kasem Bundit University - Bangkok
109
Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
term relationship with the customers. The process of the CRM consists of three steps such as selling services and
marketing through information technology (i.e., internet). In northeastern Thailand, the internet be enable tourism
enterprises to establish the customer relationship by adding more distribution channels[3].
Electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) rooted from the CRM techniques that added direct
information technology to market goods and services to small market segments[4]. Based on business strategy
that requires development of a set of integrated software application to deal with all aspects of customer
interaction like sales, marketing field support and customer service, e-CRM demonstration would mainly focus
upon acquiring new customer enhancing profitability of existing customer segment high value customer and
maximize life true value of profitable customer[5-6].
The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test the e-CRM model for community tourism in
Upper North eastern Thailand.
The paper was organized as follows, starting with the review literature on the exploration variables of the
proposed model. The following section presented the conceptual model and defines the sets of research
hypotheses. The study proceeds with a description of methods which are applied, including information about the
data and statistical procedures. Results were presented and some of their implications and limitations were
discussed in the final section.
2. Literature Review
The e-CRM business process integrated activities of designing an interaction based on relevant information,
personalizing every interaction, reaching the customer at the appropriate place and time, facilitating the
interaction and closing the ensuing transaction[7]. As increasingly electronic channels,
buyers and sellers by lowering the transaction costs of participating in the market[8-9].
Sigala[10] examine the effect of cultural dimensions on e- -CRM
comprises of six factors such as website contact interactivity, shopping experience, personalization of
information, cultivation, community, and website character[11].
Feinberg and Romano[12] investigated the effects of e-CRM attributes on customer satisfaction in retail
section.
They have identified the 15 features out of 41 e-CRM features. These were as followings:
Contact and information, general e-CRM features including site customization, web-based CRM design,
alternative channels, local search engine, membership, mailing list, site tour, site map, chat, electronic bulletin
board.
E-commerce features including online purchasing, product information online, customization possibilities,
purchase conditions, preview product, and links.
Post-sales support features including FAQs, problem solving, complaining ability, spare parts.
To supplement these factors we reviewed the professional literature and identified additional e-CRM
features that might be present on a retail web site:
( ) Affinity program - affiliations with philanthropic agencies or organizations;
(2) Product highlights - benefits of particular products/services highlighted;
(3) Request for catalog;
(4)Quick order ability - three click order;
(5) Ease of check out - subjective rating of ability to check out on an ease" scale of easy)- difficult);
(6)Ability to track order status;
(7) Gift certificate purchase;
(8) Store locator;
(9) On-sale area - highlighted place on opening web page highlighting sale items;
(10) Member benefits - description of benefits of shopping or belonging to site;
110 Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
(11) Order - ability to place an order within three clicks;
(12) Speed of download page - less than seconds was considered fast;
(13) Account information;
(14) Customer service page;
(15) Company history/profile;
(16) Posted privacy policy.
Wolfinbarger and Gilly[13] specified 4 factors of electronic retail including website design,
fulfilment/reliability, privacy/security, and customer service. They found that fulfilment/reliability and customer
service are related to satisfaction, loyalty, and attitude toward website. They also pointed out internet based CRM
has three general areas namely presales information, e-commerce services and post-sales support.
Palmer [14] suggested that website success is significantly associated with website download delay (speed of
access and display rate within the website), navigation (organization, arrangement, layout, and sequencing),
content (amount and variety of product information), interactivity (customization and interactivity), and
responsiveness (feedback options and FAQs).
Galletta, et al. [15] found that delay, familiarity, and breadth factors of website have strong direct impacts on
performance and user attitudes, in turn affecting behavioral intentions to return to the site, as might be expected.
A significant three-way interaction was found between all three factors indicating that these factors not only
individually impact a user's experiences with a website, but also act in combination to either increase or decrease
the costs a user incurs.
3.Objective and Hypothesis
The purpose of this study is to develop and test model of e-CRM in the community tourism in Upper
Northeastern Thailand. The objectives of this study are, (1) to examine the relationship and reliability of the
measure of the modeling e-CRM (2) to examine the relationship between Website character, website contact
interactivity, shopping convenience, Care and service dimensions of modeling in the Community Tourism in
Upper Northeastern Thailand
On the basis of the literature discussed above [16-17-18], the following hypotheses are developed
H
1
there is a positive relationship between shopping convenience and website contact interactivity dimensions
of e-CRM in the community tourism in upper northeastern, Thailand.
H
2
there is a positive relationship between Website character and Website contact interactivity dimensions of
e-CRM in the community tourism in upper northeastern, Thailand.
H
3
there is a positive relationship between Website contact interactivity and Care and service dimensions of
e-CRM in the community tourism in upper northeastern, Thailand.
4. Methodology
4.1 The Sample and Data Collection
The research mainly involves a survey design. It includes a pilot test using undergraduate student at Udon
Thani Rajabhat University, for pretesting questionnaire items, In addition, this investigation into Website
character, Website contact interactivity, shopping convenience and Care and service attributes necessitates
uncovering variables of interest and this involves a large-scale field study. The sample was drawn from a list of
all undergraduate computer business students at Udon Thani Rajabhat University, From the initial list of 300
students, a sample of 30 was purposively selected. The data were collected via personal questionnaires.
111
Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
Respondents were asked to rate, on a five-point Likert scale of their agreement or disagreement on the e-CRM
dimension. In April 2012, 30 questionnaires were distributed to the students of Udon Thani Rajabhat University.
4.2 Developing a better measure
The authors have developed measurement items followed the process that recommended by Churchill [19],
and Gerbing and Anderson [20]. First, to generate items, the authors translated the 52 item e-CRM items [21] into
Thai language. Second, the questionnaire items were submitted to the review of three academic experts in the
fields of Community Tourism and Information technology. They were asked to review the survey for domain
representativeness, item specificity, clarity of construct, and readability (i.e. content and face validity). Drawn
upon their inputs, some measurement items were eliminated or reworded, and others were added. Third, the
resultant survey instrument is pretested with 30 undergraduate students in Thailand. They were asked to complete
a survey and indicate any ambiguity or other difficulties they experienced in responding to the items. Their
feedback and suggestions were used to modify the questionnaire. These completed responses were also analyzed
with SPSS. An exploratory factor analysis using Principal Component Extraction indicated that all items load on
expected factors (loadings range from 0.669 to 0.920). Construct reliability tests with Cronbach's Alpha also
yielded satisfactory results (range from 0.71 to 0.77). Finally, 23 items were verified with confirmatory factor
analysis using LISREL 8.30. After the iterative process of item refinement and purification, a battery of items
was reduced to the final set of 23 items to measure the four integration-related constructs such as website
character, website contact interactivity, shopping convenience, and care and service attributes. Besides the
eighteen structured items (measured on a five-point scale) were anchored strongly. This study has utilised parts of
the instruments to develop e-CRM model in community tourism, Thailand.
4.3 Validity
This study adopted the Gerbing and Anderson [22] methodology to determine the construct, and discriminant
validity of the e-CRM measures. To determine the convergent and discriminant validity of the e-CRM, measures
were also included in the questionnaire. These cover website contact interactivity, care and service, website
character, shopping convenience with marketing philosophy expected to be more closely associated with the
major market orientation measures than other business philosophies. Discriminant validity is required when
evaluating measures[23], especially when the measures are interrelated, as in the case of reliability, response,
empathy, assurance, and tangible dimensions.
4.4 Analytical techniques
Before the data were analysed, the questionnaires were reviewed to ensure that appropriate information was
being collected and defective questionnaires were discarded. The complete questionnaires were coded and the
data keyed into the computer. At this time the LISREL was applied to the analysing process and a data analyst
was employed to supervise. It was the most important part of the survey. This paper mainly employed three
statistical techniques to analyze the data. They were confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation
modeling (Bollen, 1989; Hulland et al., 1996)[24].
112 Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
Table 1: Mean, standard deviation, covariance matrices
Y1
Y2
Y3
Y4
Y6
Y7
Y8
Y9
Y10
Y11
Y12
X3
X4
X5
X7
X11
Y1
0.84
Y2
0.16
0.57
Y3
0.22
0.18
0.65
Y4
0.27
0.20
0.26
0.69
Y5
0.25
0.20
0.17
0.22
Y6
0.25
0.23
0.20
0.25
0.71
Y7
0.27
0.17
0.17
0.20
0.27
0.66
Y8
0.21
0.20
0.20
0.21
0.31
0.27
0.72
Y9
0.19
0.14
0.11
0.18
0.17
0.27
0.26
0.66
Y10
0.22
0.12
0.13
0.21
0.25
0.18
0.26
0.21
0.69
Y11
0.19
0.13
0.15
0.16
0.23
0.26
0.23
0.25
0.27
0.71
Y12
0.23
0.15
0.17
0.20
0.21
0.15
0.21
0.16
0.20
0.25
0.75
X1
0.31
0.17
0.20
0.18
0.20
0.23
0.22
0.19
0.20
0.16
0.12
X2
0.19
0.10
0.12
0.16
0.15
0.12
0.19
0.11
0.11
0.11
0.12
X3
0.24
0.02
0.11
0.12
0.19
0.17
0.14
0.09
0.16
0.19
0.13
0.70
X4
0.24
0.08
0.16
0.18
0.17
0.19
0.14
0.16
0.16
0.18
0.17
0.24
0.71
X5
0.28
0.09
0.16
0.15
0.15
0.18
0.18
0.16
0.16
0.15
0.16
0.26
0.28
0.72
X6
0.23
0.14
0.14
0.16
0.17
0.17
0.11
0.09
0.11
0.17
0.17
0.16
0.21
0.20
X7
0.22
0.19
0.18
0.17
0.23
0.20
0.26
0.17
0.18
0.19
0.21
0.13
0.17
0.19
0.62
X8
0.21
0.18
0.16
0.19
0.20
0.13
0.23
0.14
0.16
0.13
0.13
0.12
0.13
0.12
0.22
X9
0.23
0.18
0.22
0.20
0.20
0.19
0.23
0.21
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.11
0.21
0.16
0.27
X10
0.23
0.17
0.16
0.26
0.22
0.20
0.19
0.18
0.16
0.12
0.13
0.09
0.14
0.13
0.18
X11
0.25
0.17
0.18
0.20
0.26
0.22
0.29
0.16
0.20
0.20
0.18
0.13
0.13
0.13
0.25
0.67
5. Results
5.1 Hypothesis Testing
5.1.1 Assessing fit between model and data
The analysis started with the calculation of the mean and standard deviation for each unweighted, interval
scale. We also report covariance between each scale in Table 1. The overall adequacy of the proposed theoretical
framework was examined using LISREL 8.30 causal modeling procedures[25], and the maximum likelihood
method of estimation and the two-stage testing process were adopted. A substantial portion of the variance of the
Modeling in ecotourism has been explained by the model. The results are shown in Table 2. The model is a close
fit to the data at
2
(218) value of 453.08 (P<0.00002). However, the ratio of chi-square and degree of freedom is
2.07 (453.08/218), GFI of 0.92, AGFI of 0.90, CFI of 0.97 and RMSEA of 0.043. Therefore, the e-CRM model
can be acceptable [26-27].
113
Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
Table 2 : Properties of the CFA for e-CRM
Construct
indicators
Standardized
loadings
t-value
Composite
reliability
Variance
extracted
estimate: AVE
Website contact interactivity
0.43
.29
.71
Y1
0.55
1.355
14.13*
14.08*
13.74*
14.04*
Y2
0.38
Y3
0.42
Y4
0.48
Y5
0.43
Care and service
0.46
0.34
.77
Y6
0.56
11.99*
13.31*
12.56*
13.29*
13.90*
-
-
Y7
0.46
Y8
0.56
Y9
0.42
Y10
0.40
Y11
-
Y12
-
Website character
0.44
0.30
.74
X1
0.53
9.83*
13.70*
14.11*
13.16*
13.61*
12.80*
X2
0.40
X3
0.36
X4
0.48
X5
0.44
X6
0.41
Shopping convenience
0.48
0.36
.72
X7
0.48
13.05*
13.24*
12.93*
13.13*
12.77*
X8
0.44
X9
0.53
X10
0.47
X11
0.50
*indicates significance at p<0.01 level
The results of the hypothesis testing are provided in Table 3, along with parameter estimates, their
corresponding t- values, and the fit statistics. As shown in Table 5, the H
1
, H
2
, H
3
are supported.
H
1
suggested that there is a positive relationship between shopping convenience and website contact
interactivity dimensions of the modeling e-CRM for community tourism in upper northeastern Thailand was
supported (
1
= 0.61, p<0.01).
H
2
predicted a positive relationship between website character and website contact interactivity dimensions
of the modeling e-CRM for community tourism in upper northeastern Thailand was supported (
2
= 0.41, p<0.01).
114 Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
H
3
predicted a positive relationship between Website contact interactivity and care and service dimensions of
the modeling e-CRM for community tourism in upper northeastern Thailand was supported (
1
= 0.87, p<0.01).
On the basis of these findings, we conclude that although empathy and response play significant moderating roles
in e-CRM of community tourism in Thailand, the role of the tangible in this context remains certain.
Table 3 Hypotheses testing for e-CRM
Hypothesized Paths
Expected
Sign
Standardized
Coefficients
t
A/R
H1 Shopping convenience Website
contact interactivity
+
0.61
7.5***
H2 Website character Website contact
interactivity
+
0.41
5.37***
H3 Website contact interactivity Care
and service
+
0.87
10.14***
Notes:
2
=453.08; significance 0.0; df=218; NFI=0.98; NNFI=0.94; CFI=0.97; GFI=0.92; AGFI=0.90; RMSEA=0.049.
A/R, acceptance or rejection of hypothesis.
a
Hypothetical sign of the relation, **p<0.05 and t>1.96; ***p<0.01 and t>2.58
Fig 1. the standardized solution of the e-CRM model
Shopping
convenience
Website contact
interactivity
Website
character
Care and
service
Y1
Y2
Y3
Y4
Y5
Y6
Y7
Y8
Y9
Y10
Y11
Y12
X1
X2
X3
X4
X5
X6
X7
X8
X9
X10
X11
115
Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
5. Conclusions and Discussions
The purpose of this study is to develop the e-CRM model of the community tourism in the upper Northeast of
Thailand. It is found from the study that the effect of website character and shopping convenience on care and
service through website contact interactivity.
According to H
1
that there is a positive relationship between shopping convenience and website contact
interactivity dimensions of e-CRM for community tourism in Upper Northeastern Thailand was supported. This
findings would be consistency with the research of Sigala [28].
According to H
2
that there is a positive relationship between website character and website contact
interactivity dimensions of the modeling e-CRM for community tourism in upper northeastern Thailand was
supported. This findings would be consistency with the research of Feinberg and Romano [29].
According to H
3
that there is a positive relationship between website contact interactivity and care and service
dimensions of the Modeling e-CRM for community tourism in upper northeastern Thailand was supported. This
findings would be consistency with the research of Wolfinbarger and Gilly [30]. One explanation for the findings
may be that, customer relationship may be based on two main sources: information quality and system quality [31].
6. Research and Managerial Implications
For the researcher, this study has implications on the examination of the validity of e-CRM model. This
article has provided a comprehensive evaluation for understanding the structure of e-CRM in Thai tourism.
However, several limitations are acknowledged, leading to suggested directions for future research. First, this
research was limited to validating the e-CRM based on path analysis. Whereas, many researchers have used the
TAM view to examine the associations between e-CRM and consumer behaviour and firm performance, future
research could apply this view to ascertain antecedent and consequent relationships among consumer and
business markets, resources, capability, competitive advantage, and firm performance. Also, the analysis used in
this study was static, which evaluation of re
Longitudinal research has to investigate how key e-CRM components might change over time.
For a managerial perspective, an entrepreneur who implements strategies in different environment settings
cannot have an ethnocentric view about management imperatives. This study provides some guidelines for
tourism entrepreneurs handling e-CRM model across the country. For example, the result of the study
demonstrates that website contact interactivity has important attributes for the e-CRM. The entrepreneur in the
Thai community tourism should have a web-master or customer relationship manager for continuously
-CRM strategies in a timely
manner in the market. Thus, community tourism should increase communication channels, or develop
information systems for integrating tourism activities. It might be collaborated among Thailand officials, such as
Department of Agricultural Extension, The Thai Chamber of Commerce, Community Development Department
and Commission on Higher Education, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Ministry of Information and
Communication Technology of Thailand.
7. Limitations and Future Research
Although this paper has provided relevant and interesting insights into the understanding of the components
of e-CRM structure in Thai community tourism, it should be clearly recognized the limitations associated with
this study. First, cross-sectional data were used in the paper. Subsequently, the time sequence of the e-CRM
model cannot be determined unambiguously. Therefore, the results might not be interpreted as proof of a causal
relationship, but rather as lending support for a prior causal scheme. The development of a time-series database
116 Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
and testing of the e-CRM structure relationship with performance in a longitudinal framework would provide
more insight into probable causation.
Second, the conceptualization of e-CRM structure may be somewhat limited and it is arguable that e-CRM
structure may consist of more than market information gathering, and the development and implementation of a
market-oriented strategy.
Third, the LISREL methodology may be construed as a limitation because the results presented here are based
on the analysis of a causal non-experiment design.
8. Acknowledgement
The author sincerely thanks anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and input; Banchob
Chiemwichit for his very thorough readings of the paper and his welcomes suggestions for explanations
regarding particular topics. Financial support from Research and Development Institute of UdonThani Rajabhat
University is gratefully acknowledged.
References
[1] Palmer, J.W. Web site usability, design, and performance metrics. Inform Sys Res 2002; 13(2): 205-223.
[2] Chiou, W-C, Lin, C-C., and Perng, C. A strategic website evaluation of online travel agencies. Tour Manage 2011; 32: 1463-1473.
[3] Lee, W., and Gretzel, U. Designing persuasive destination website: a mental imagery processing perspective. Tour Manage 2012; 33:
1270-1280.
[4] Sultan, F., and Rohm, A.J. The evolving role of the internet in marketing strategy: an exploratory. J Interact Mark 2001; 18 (2): 6-19.
[5] Coviello, N., Milley, R., and Marcolin, B. Understanding it-enabled interactivity in contemporary marketing. J Interact Mark 2001;
15 (4): 18-33.
[6] RashidD FaroogI, M.D. R. A comparative study of CRM and E-CRM technologies, Indian J Comp Sci Engin 2011;
-CRM Makes One-to-One Theory a Reality. Sys Integ; 2001, p. 103
[8] Eric Overby, Sandy Jap. Electronic and physical market channels: A Multiyear Investigation in a Market for Products of Uncertain
Quality. Manage Sci J 2009;
[9 ] Sigala, M. Culture: the software of e-customer relationship management. J Mark Comm 2006; 12 (3): 203-223.
J Interact Mark
2002; 16 (4): 51-72.
[11] Feinberg, R., and Romano, N. e-CRM web service attributes as determinants of customer satisfaction with retail web sites. IJ Serv
Ind Manage 2002; 13 (5): 432-451.
[12] Feinberg, R., Kadam, R., Hokama, L., and Kim, I. The state of electronic customer relationship management in retailing IJ Retail
Dist Manage 2002; 13 (5): 432-451.
[13] Wolfinbarger, M., and Gilly, M.C. eTailQ: dimensionalizing, measuring and predicting etail quality J Retail 2003; 79: 183-198.
[14] Palmer, ref. 1 above.
[15]Galletta, D.F., Henry, R.M., McCoy, S., and Polak, P. When the Wait Isn't So Bad: The Interacting Effects of Website Delay,
Familiarity, and Breadth. Inform Sys Res 2006; 17(1): 20-37.
[16] Feinberg et al., ref. 12 above
[17] Wolfinbarger and Gilly, ref. 13 above
[18] Palmer, ref. 1 above.
[19] Churchill, G. A. A paradigm for developing better measures of marketing constructs. J Mark 1979; 16(February): 64-73
[20] Gerbing, D.W. and Anderson, J. C. An updated paradigm for scale development incorporating unidimensionality and its assessment.
J Mark Res 1988; 25(May): 186-192.
[21] Feinberg et al., ref. 9 above
[22] Anderson, J.C., and Gerbing, D.W. Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach.
Psychol Bull
; 103: 411-23.
[23] Churchill, ref. 19 above
[24] Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural Equations with Latent Variables. NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[25] Joreskog, K. G., & Sorbom, D. (
). LISREL8: User's reference guide. Chicago: Scientific Software International Inc.
[26] Bentler, P. M. Comparative Fit Indexes in Structural Models. Psychol Bull, 1990; 107(2): 238-246.
[27] Bentler, P. M., & Bonett, D. G. Significant Tests and Goodness-of-Fit in the Analysis of Covariance Structures. Psychol Bull , 1980;
88(3): 588-606.
117
Panithan Mekkamol et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 88 ( 2013 ) 108 – 117
[28] Sigala, ref. 9 above
[29] Feinberg et al., ref. 12 above
[30] Wolfinbarger and Gilly, ref. 13 above
[31] McKinney, V., Yoon, K., Zahedi, F.M. The measurement of web-customer satisfaction. Inform Sys Res 2002; 13(3): 296-315.
... The more users think the E-CRM system is useful and easy to use whenever they accept to use it. Mekkamol et al. (2013) found that website contact interactivity and care and service dimensions of the Modeling e-CRM for community tourism positively correlated in upper northeastern Thailand. Navimipour and Soltani (2016) investigated the TAM and the effectiveness of the E-CRM. ...
... The second section covers items regarding technology acceptance while parts three and four cover employees' satisfaction and E-CRM effectiveness respectively (see Appendix 1). Items in parts two, three, and four came from Park et al. (2011, and Mekkamol et al. (2013) respectively. A five-point Likert scale, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree was used. ...
... This signifies that each item scored highly on its characteristics. E-CRM effectiveness factor has been measured using a 5-item scale adapted from Mekkamol et al. (2013). For both hotels and tourism companies, all item loadings of the E-CRM effectiveness factor were highly significant, ranging from a high of (0.90) to a low of (0.74) for factors assigned in a sample of hotels and a high of (0.92) to a low of (0.81) for factors assigned in a sample of tourism companies (see appendix 1). ...
... continuously growing, and e-commerce customers familiar with Internet use, sensitive to modern trends, and influential in the online distribution market are purchasing various products online (Mekkamol, Piewdang & Untachai, 2013;Statistics Korea, 2021). As the ratio of online shopping among customers increases, companies are making efforts to innovate in new business operations to make the transition to online e-commerce companies. ...
... This was the highest number since statistics were compiled in 2001, and by age, online shoppers in their 20s increased significantly to 75%, followed by 59% and 47% for those in their 40s. E-CRM activities are currently in an active maturity stage in the industry, and research on e-CRM is being conducted by experts in companies (Feinberg, Kadam, Hokama, & Kim, 2002;Sigala, 2011;Mekkamol et al., 2013;Law, 2019), but despite the significant growth of e-commerce such as online shopping, research on e-CRM activities recognized by customers is still insufficient. In particular, with the recent trend of the increasing number of customers with experience in purchasing products online, more research on e-CRM activities that they recognize needs to be performed. ...
... Sivaraks et al. (2011) identified e-CRM activities as being more advanced than CRM and classified them into 30 categories, including online marketing, technology promotion, multi-channel communication, automation process, digital channel utilization, electronic channel utilization, Internet data extraction, e-business environment, interaction, customerization, and online purchase activities. Mekkamol et al. (2013) identified young customers' perceptions of e-CRM activities as 16 elements including fast ordering ability, member benefits, fast downloads, and billing information, and classified them into four attributes: "interest and service," "website characteristics," "two-way website contact" and "shopping convenience." Cao & Yang (2016)'s study on the degree of customer perception of e-CRM activities of Chinese websites selling products classified them into 11 elements such as customer analysis surveys and inconvenience handling, and the execution rate of e-CRM activities was analyzed for each website. ...
Article
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence between online purchase e-CRM activities and e-customer satisfaction on e-loyalty. In particular, it focuses on the mediating effect of e-customer satisfaction in the relationship between online purchase e-CRM activities and e-loyalty. Design/methodology/approach: The data was collected from customers who have purchased online products in South Korea for a week. The study used 1307 questionnaires in the quantitative analysis and the proposed research model and a set of hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model (SEM). Findings: The findings of this study indicate that online purchase e-CRM activities (including e-Marketing, e-Sales, e-Support and e-System) have a significant positive impact on e-customer satisfaction. E-Marketing and e-Sales were found to have a statistically significant positive influence on e-loyalty, but e-Support and e-System did not have a statistically significant effect on e-loyalty. This study also found that e-customer satisfaction significantly mediated the link between online purchase e-CRM activities (including e-Marketing, e-Sales, e-Support and e-System) and e-loyalty. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of this study is that since the data only targets customers in their 20s and 40s, it is difficult to say that it represents customers of all ages. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on e-CRM activities for customers of different ages who have experience in online purchasing in the future. Moreover, as the e-commerce market using digital technology grows, companies need to preemptively respond to the expansion of “un-tact” (non-face-to-face) services in the post-COVID-19 era. Therefore, the results of this study presented theoretical and practical implications for improving online purchase e-CRM activities, e-custom- er satisfaction, and e-loyalty to e-commerce companies. Originality/value: The recent COVID-19 pandemic has caused great losses and considerable difficulties in various industries around the world, but to overcome this, the e-commerce market has expanded and has led to the advancement of the digital transformation era. Therefore, the originality of this study suggested the importance of e-CRM activities reflecting the purchasing trend of the online market in line with the trend of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and IT era, and it is significant in that it provides theoretical and managerial marketing and strategic implications for better recognition and utilization of these e-CRM activities from corporate and customer perspectives.
... The tourism industry is a multibillion business, online are allowing travellers to get realtime information about the various services which help them to plan, pay and book their future trips in few clicks as per their convenience of time and location (Buhalis and Jun, 2011;Garc ıa-Crespo et al., 2009;Isfandyari-Moghaddam, 2012;Mekkamol et al., 2013;Moreno et al., 2013). E-tourism also allows consumers to read reviews and compare about various services and decide on the basis of real-time data analytics and intelligence. ...
... Travellers usually face challenges while using mobile technology, web-based tools and e-commerce services (Fermoso et al., 2015;Pantano and Pietro, 2013;Valencia-Garcia et al., 2011). Yet it may get minimized by optimally utilizing the basic managerial functions for e-tourism such ase-commerce, e-marketing, e-finance and e-accounting, e-human resource management, e-procurement, e-research and development, e-production as well as e-strategy, e-planning and e-management (Baggio and Fuchs, 2018;Lu et al., 2015;Mekkamol et al., 2013;Pantano and Pietro, 2013;Szopinski and Staniewski, 2016). In this era of highly integrated dynamic technological innovations and developments, the tourism industry thrives for the everlasting value-added services for soliciting better travellers' experiences (Garc ıa-Crespo et al., 2009;Ku and Chen, 2015). ...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose E-tourism is instilling in the tourism industry with the advancement in the technological infrastructure all over the world and fetching tremendous tourists’ attention. The dynamic changes in the technological aspects unveil varied developments in the tourism industry. This paper attempts to reveal the developments in the field of e-tourism by a systematic review of the literature using bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach In total,146 research articles were retrieved from the Web of Science data during the period of 2004 – 2020, for further analysis using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny package of R Studio. Findings Useful insights resulted in the form of most cited papers, contribution in e-tourism research by different authors, countries, institutions, journals and so on, co-occurrence analysis and cluster analysis for major trends or themes of e-tourism. This study solicits an elaborated review of e-tourism research and unveils the future directions for the researchers. Originality/value This study adds substantial value to the research of e-tourism by analysing the bibliometric data of the last 16 years, that is, from 2004 – 2020, procured from the Scopus by analysing the significant trends developed in the e-tourism research. It also adds value by indicating the emerging areas of e-tourism.
... Dubihlea and Molise-Khosa proposed a model [4] of the influence of eCRM implementation on customer profitability. Several dimensions or attributes of eCRM have been identified [1,5,6], such as customer service quality, information quality, personalization level, perceived trust, and others. In customer service, the analysis of information and adequate communication are fundamental tools to achieve their entire satisfaction. ...
Article
Full-text available
To address the personalization of customer service in four-star hotels in Cuba, this research takes up the precepts of non-verbal communication and Customer Relationship Management. The Systemic Method and its treatment through the Soft Systems Methodology are applied. With information obtained from the Sol Cayo Guillermo hotel, belonging to the Jardines del Rey tourist center, in Cuba, a grouping of the essential elements in customer satisfaction generated with the use of Computational Intelligence algorithms was used. In the end, we introduce a training program for the personalization of customer service based on the non-verbal communication system to enhance service in four-star hotels in Cuba. As a main result, the experts agree that the proposed training program will have a positive impact on the worker–client communication relationship to increase customer profitability in four-star hotels in Cuba.
... The term CRM can be defined as the managerial process that businesses implement to construct a long-term, sustainable, do-able advantage. Attracting profitable buyers, and building and maintaining a long-term, sustainable relationship is a means of continuing in the competitive marketplace (Hassan et al., 2019;Mekkamol et al., 2013). CRM assists business relations with buyers by combining technologies and dealing practices that seek to recognize an organization's buyers and future prospects (Kim et al., 2003;Venturini and Benito, 2015). ...
Chapter
Website quality in online business is still exploratory, and despite growth in building a relationship with customer research, various challenges remain in developing a more customer-oriented website. This chapter tackles the dilemma of how to support website inclusivity in the building of a customer relationship, by investigating flow, commitment-trust, and stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theories. The authors applied the covariance-based SEM (structural equation modeling) to examine the structural model. Primary data for the study comes from 500 respondents through an online questionnaire. The study results reveal that website quality certainly influences users' perceived flow, which in turn positively influences customer trust and CRM. Again, collective trust influences customer commitment and CRM. Finally, collective customer commitment positively controls CRM. Based on the study findings , the theoretical implications, practical inferences, and directions for future study are highlighted.
... Reputation Management: It is the process of managing the reputation of telecommunications companies using a set of dimensions that include (emotional attraction, products and services, physical work environment, financial performance, leadership and vision, and social responsibility) that are used by telecommunications companies in Jordan to build their reputation locally and internationally and measured through Resolution phrases (18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37). ...
Article
Full-text available
The study aims to measure the impact of the application of electronic customer relationship management on reputation management in telecommunications companies in Jordan. The study population consists of the three telecom companies (Orange, Zain, Umniah) in Jordan. As for the random study sample, it is made up of managers and heads of departments who work in the information technology departments in the three companies, a total of (40). According to the statistical tables, the sampling unit reached (36), two were excluded because they were not valid and (34) remained. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from Sampling unit, and its validity and reliability were tested. The study used the descriptive analytical research method to test the results of the study in terms of describing its variables and the level of its existence using descriptive statistics methods. As for the study hypotheses, it was done using inferential statistics methods such as simple and multiple regression. The study reached the following prominent results 1. The application of the electronic customer relationship management achieved high levels with all its components (acquisition, retention and expansion) in telecommunications companies in Jordan, the highest of which came to retain and the lowest for acquisition. 2. The reputation management has achieved high levels with all its components (emotional attraction, products and services, physical work environment, financial performance, leadership and vision, and social responsibility) in telecommunications companies in Jordan. The highest was for social responsibility and the lowest for financial performance. 3. The average impact of applying the electronic customer relationship management (with its combined components) on reputation management (with its combined components) in telecommunications companies in Jordan, where the correlation coefficient was (63.6%) 4. There is an outcome of retaining customer relationships electronically on emotional attraction with telecommunications companies in Jordan, which indicates the need for emotional attraction to retain customers with telecommunications companies as a useful basis for successful competition between them in the long term and the importance of customers as a supportive basis for survival and achieving profitability. 5. There is a significant impact of the expansion of customers electronically on the financial performance of telecommunications companies in Jordan. This indicates companies' eagerness to expand with more customers electronically because it is hoped to increase the market share and their reflection on the financial performance of competing companies. 6. There is no impact of the application of electronic customer relationship management on social responsibility in telecommunications companies in Jordan, the impact may be attributed to other factors that were not discussed in the study, despite the apparent interest of telecommunications companies in social responsibility. Based on the results of the study, it recommends the following: 1. Communications companies continue to implement electronic customer relationship management and to continuously enhance their levels and strategies to keep abreast of developments in knowledge management and information technology developments.ISSN- 2394-5125 VOL 7, ISSUE 19, 2020 3085 2. Reinforcement of telecom companies to manage reputation due to their clear reflection of strategic marketing directions and keeping abreast of modern marketing concepts. 3. Give leadership and vision the importance they deserve to achieve better levels of excellence in reputation management in the aforementioned companies 4. Activating the customer retention process for its apparent impact on reputation management in telecom companies, as it is one of the components of its intellectual capital 5. Continue to acquire more customers electronically because of its apparent impact on reputation management financially in the research companies
Article
Full-text available
Elektronik müşteri ilişkileri yönetimi (E-MİY), teknolojik gelişmeler sonucu artan e-ticaretin, sadık müşteri kazanma dürtüsünün ve rekabetin bir sonucudur. Teknoloji her geçen gün hızla değiştiğinden piyasadaki firmaların rakiplerinden farklılaşmaları uzun sürmemektedir. Bu noktada asıl farklılığı teknolojiyi kullanarak müşteri ilişkileri geliştiren ve yönlendiren firmalar yakalayabilmektedirler. Bu araştırmanın amacı, E-MİY uygulamalarının rekabet gücü ve lojistik performans üzerindeki etkisini belirlemektir. Araştırmada ayrıca araştırılan değişkenlerin 2 farklı sektörde karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma kapsamını Erzurum’da faaliyet gösteren otomotiv acenteleri ve ulusal mobilya üreticilerinin Erzurum’daki yetkili satış mağazaları oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma sonucunda E-MİY uygulamalarının rekabet gücü ve lojistik performansa etki ettiği ve rekabet gücünün sektörel bazda farklılaştığı tespit edilmiştir.
Article
Full-text available
The purpose of this paper is to measure the effect of E-CRM on Organizations Performance. The Information technology plays an important role in every organization. And customer satisfaction needs to also be measured as a mediator to judge the efficiency. The research was conducted by randomly sampling method in Pakistan. The Methods were used Qualitative and Quantitative for Research. A sample of 220 questionnaires was developed and interview was conducted to get response, through a well-organized strategy. How Technology Effect the customers and it gives a perceiving effect on businesses. The interviews were conducted from Managers of different banks. Our findings were related with positive impact on the organization practices to evaluate the effectiveness. This shows that the effect of electronic customer relationship is positively associated with organization because due to increase in competition it is compulsory for organization to maintain the ECRM. Our finding is E-CRM has an important effect on organization and its customers. This model has a practical implication on services based industry organizations. The firm would use the ECRM system to increase the efficiency of employees and retention rate of customer will increase. Keywords: Electronic Customer Relationship Management: Organizational Performance: Customer Satisfaction JEL Classifications: M310; M1; M0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.9934
Article
Full-text available
Existing research suggests that consumers’ choices of vacations may be significantly influenced by mental imagery processing, which is considered to be high elaboration cognitive processing. This study first aimed to identify imagery-eliciting Web site features, and second to test their influence on persuasion-related outcomes such as attitude strength, confidence, and attitude resistance. A total of 252 subjects participated in a Web-based experiment to examine the influence of selected Web site features on individual imagery processing and its effect on consumers’ attitudes and expectations. The data was analyzed primarily using a structural equation modeling methodology. Structural model results revealed that the mental imagery construct strongly influenced the measured communication effects. In terms of inducing mental imagery processing, only pictures were found to make a significant difference. The findings stress the importance of researching mental imagery processing in tourism and provide practical implications for the design of persuasive destination Web sites.
Article
Full-text available
In this article, we provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests. We discuss the comparative advantages of this approach over a one-step approach. Considerations in specification, assessment of fit, and respecification of measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis are reviewed. As background to the two-step approach, the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analysis, the distinction between complementary approaches for theory testing versus predictive application, and some developments in estimation methods also are discussed.
Article
The authors outline an updated paradigm for scale development that incorporates confirmatory factor analysis for the assessment of unidimensionality. Under this paradigm, item-total correlations and exploratory factor analysis are used to provide preliminary scales. The unidimensionality of each scale then is assessed simultaneously with confirmatory factor analysis. After unidimensional measurement has been acceptably achieved, the reliability of each scale is assessed. Additional evidence for construct validity beyond the establishment of unidimensionality then can be provided by embedding the unidimensional sets of indicators within a nomological network defined by the complete structural model.
Article
A critical element in the evolution of a fundamental body of knowledge in marketing, as well as for improved marketing practice, is the development of better measures of the variables with which marketers work. In this article an approach is outlined by which this goal can be achieved and portions of the approach are illustrated in terms of a job satisfaction measure.
Article
In this article, we provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests. We discuss the comparative advantages of this approach over a one-step approach. Considerations in specification, assessment of fit, and respecification of measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis are reviewed. As background to the two-step approach, the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analysis, the distinction between complementary approaches for theory testing versus predictive application, and some developments in estimation methods also are discussed.
Article
Online travel Web sites have been the most frequently visited online information facilities by travelers. To evaluate the effectiveness of a travel Web site, the Web site manager should regularly check whether or not it is fulfilling the objectives that were established for it. This research uses a strategic Web site evaluation framework to introduce a five-stage process for examining the consistency of Web site’s presence and its intended strategies. Two leading online travel agencies with different business strategies are selected to demonstrate methods of implementing a strategic evaluation framework and to compare the evaluation results. A hierarchical evaluation structure is introduced to explicitly delineate the two Web sites’ different strategy intentions and related evaluation criteria. Results show that an individual Web site’s strategy-inconsistent criteria can be easily identified through a gap analysis and criteria performance matrix. A strategy-inconsistent dimension can be discovered through a radar chart analysis of the 4PsC (Product, Promotion, Price, Place, and Customer Relationship) dimensions and a transaction phases analysis.
Article
This paper analyzes the availability of electronic customer relationship management (E-CRM) features on retail Web sites and their relationship to consumer satisfaction and site traffic. The top 100 specialty store, standard retail store, and Internet retailer Web sites were analyzed for the presence of 41 E-CRM features. The availability of these features was then assessed for their relationship with consumer traffic to the site and customer satisfaction with the site. Internet retailers were significantly more likely to have E-CRM attributes on their site. However only the chat feature, spare parts availability, gift certificate purchase, mailing address, search engine, links, and a company profile were associated with customer satisfaction. No E-CRM feature was associated with customer traffic to a site. Standard retailers appear to be behind in implementing E-CRM features in current operations. It is not clear that retailers understand what aspects of E-CRM will be important in customer satisfaction.
Article
By adopting a customer value oriented approach, this study extends previous studies in order to investigate the effect of cultural dimensions on eCRM implementation. Based on an extensive literature review, research hypotheses are formulated and tested by gathering data from a multinational student body. Findings provide empirical evidence on the impact of each cultural dimension on the implementation of certain eCRM practices and functionalities. The sample study is limited to a student audience. Future studies should replicate and further refine the findings of this research by using a large‐scale sample including respondents with different socio‐economic and demographic characteristics. Findings are useful to website designers and e‐marketers for deciding and developing and globalizing of their eCRM strategy and its functionalities. As the Internet is globalizing services, eCRM needs to consider customers' cultural differences. The study provides useful implications for developing and globalizing eCRM practises and business processes, as well as for designing the functionality of global appealing websites.
Article
The authors outline an updated paradigm for scale development that incorporates confirmatory factor analysis for the assessment of unidimensionality. Under this paradigm, item-total correlations and exploratory factor analysis are used to provide preliminary scales. The unidimensionality of each scale then is assessed simultaneously with confirmatory factor analysis. After unidimensional measurement has been acceptably achieved, the reliability of each scale is assessed. Additional evidence for construct validity beyond the establishment of unidimensionality then can be provided by embedding the unidimensional sets of indicators within a nomological network defined by the complete structural model.