Binshan Lin

Adopting customer relationship management technology

Now customer relationship marketing (CRM) solutions might be the hottest topic in business world. CRM impelled the growth of both B2B and B2C markets. But the issue is how to apply the cutting‐edge CRM solutions. Do people really understand what CRM is and why they should install CRM? The mistaken concept of CRM may have disastrous effects on the company. This paper begins with the basic concepts of CRM, elaborates the characteristics, reviews its brief history and addresses the current status of CRM. Then it develops the extended concepts of CRM from micro‐ and macro‐ perspectives. In the “Implementation and tips” section, it concludes the proper steps to approach CRM and how to bear a right attitude towards CRM solutions. Related Government rules are also covered.

Internet‐based ICT adoption: evidence from Malaysian SMEs

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovative characteristics, benefits, and barriers influencing internet‐based information and communications technology (ICT) adoption among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs)., – A questionnaire‐based survey was used to collect data from 406 managers or owners of SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia., – The results suggest that internet‐based ICT adoption provides a low cost yet effective communication tool for customers. However, security continues to be a major barrier. Finding on cost as a barrier is mixed. The inferential statistics reveal that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and security are significant factors influencing internet‐based ICT adoption., – The study focuses only on the SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia., – The findings offer valuable insights to policy makers in general and to the SMEs in particular on the significance of the measured characteristics and the associated benefits and barriers of internet‐based ICT adoption., – The study is perhaps one of the first to comprehensively address internet‐based ICT adoption among the SMEs through the use of a wide range of variables.

Adoption of mobile technology in business: a fit‐viability model

Purpose – This paper aims to study the adoption of mobile technology in business and its determinants. A diagnostic tool for proper adoption of mobile technology is developed.Design/methodology/approach – Grounded on the fit‐viability framework, the paper uses a multi‐case study via the fit and viability dimensions to examine the success or failure of mobile technology applications in business.Findings – By drawing upon multiple streams of theory building, the paper is able to develop a set of measurement instruments to assess the fit and viability in adopting mobile technology. The findings demonstrate that the fit‐viability model (FVM) provides useful guidelines for enterprises in their decisions on whether to adopt a mobile technology.Research limitations/implications – First, the theoretical generalizability of the FVM needs to be more carefully observed in future studies. Second, the findings are exploratory and more extensive studies may be necessary.Practical implications – Chief information office...

Criteria for measuring KM performance outcomes in organisations

Purpose – This research attempts to comprehensively examine the criteria for measuring knowledge management (KM) performance outcomes in organisations. To date, no studies have provided a set of widely accepted measurement criteria associated with KM efforts. This paper, therefore, aims to fill the gap.Design/methodology/approach – This study was carried out by systematically reviewing the literature on KM performance outcomes. Case studies were carried out in two organisations identified to have a KM programme in place.Findings – A review of the literature indicates that there are 38 outcomes from KM implementation which have garnered impressive theoretical and empirical support. Based on this, a comprehensive set of performance outcomes is proposed and grouped into five key dimensions. The findings from the case studies indicate that this proposition is relevant.Research limitations/implications – The use of case studies limits the generalisability of the findings, but it opens up new questions to be ex...

Internet‐based ICT adoption among SMEs: Demographic versus benefits, barriers, and adoption intention

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the demographic characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with regards to their patterns of internet‐based information and communications technology (ICT) adoption, taking into account the dimensions of ICT benefits, barriers, and subsequently adoption intention.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire‐based survey is used to collect data from 406 managers or owners of SMEs in Malaysia.Findings – The results reveal that the SMEs would adopt internet‐based ICT regardless of years of business start‐up and internet experience. Some significant differences are spotted between manufacturing and service SMEs in terms of their demographic characteristics and internet‐based ICT benefits, barriers, and adoption intention. Both the industry types express intention to adopt internet‐based ICT, with the service‐based SMEs demonstrating greater intention.Research limitations/implications – The paper focuses only on the SMEs in the southern region ...

The construction and application of knowledge navigator model (KNM TM ): An evaluation of knowledge management maturity

This study develops a knowledge navigator model (KNM(TM)) to navigate knowledge management (KM) implementation journey. The KNM comprises two frameworks: evaluation and calculation framework. Qualitative research methods, including a literature review, in-depth interviews, focus groups and content analysis, are conducted to construct the evaluation framework of KNM. An algorithm model is proposed in the calculation framework and a 30 cases survey was employed to obtain the initial version of the score ranges used to differentiate maturity levels. Several propositions and the corresponding KNM were constructed. We define the KM maturity level into five stages: knowledge chaotic stage, knowledge conscientious stage, KM stage, KM advanced stage, and KM integration stage. The evaluation framework of KNM consists of three aspects: three target management objects (culture, KM process, and information technology), 68 KM activities, and 16 key areas (KAs). The initial version of the score ranges was identified. The study results can be referenced and the methodology can be applied to other countries, although the sample is confined to industries in Taiwan.

Are TQM practices supporting customer satisfaction and service quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and customer satisfaction and also to investigate the association between TQM practices and service quality within the context of Malaysias small service organizations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses data from the perceptions of sales and marketing managers in 108 small service organizations in Malaysia. Data were analyzed by employing correlation and multiple regression analysis to test the relationship between TQM practices, customer satisfaction and service quality.Findings – The results showed that TQM practices are significantly and positively linked to customer satisfaction and service quality of the small service business firms. It was further confirmed that the dimensions of customer focus and information and analysis were strongly linked to customer satisfaction and service quality.Practical implications – The results of this paper can be used by marketing/sales manage...

Effect of team diversity on software project performance

Purpose – This research seeks to investigate the relationship between knowledge diversity (KD) in software teams and project performance. Previous research has shown that member diversity affects team performance; most of that work, however, has focused on diversity in personal or social attributes, such as gender or social category. Current research targets at the knowledge level aim to facilitate the implementation of knowledge management in organizations.Design/methodology/approach – A research framework was developed based on conflict theory and empirically tested on software teams in Taiwan.Findings – It was found that KD increases task conflict, which in turn has significant positive effects on team performance and that value diversity (VD) increases relationship conflict, which in turn negatively affects team performance.Research limitations/implications – The findings indicate that task conflict can enhance team performance, while relationship conflict can reduce team performance. Therefore, it is...

Predicting the drivers of behavioral intention to use mobile learning

We examined the determinants of mobile learning using a hybrid SEM-ANN approach.TAM has significant influence on the intention to adopt.Psychological science constructs are non-significant with the intention to adopt.The moderating effect of age and gender are non-significant in this study.The model is able to explain 53.4% of the variance with effect size of 0.399. This study empirically investigates on the elements that affect the users intention to adopt mobile learning (m-learning) using a hybrid Structural Equation Modeling-Artificial Neural Networks (SEM-ANN) approach. A feed-forward-back-propagation multi-layer perceptron ANN with the significant determinants from SEM as the input units and the Root Mean Square of Errors (RMSE) indicated that the ANN achieved high prediction accuracy. All determinants are relevant and their normalized importance was examined through sensitivity analysis. The explanation on new computer technologies acceptance have been primarily based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Since TAM omits the psychological science constructs, the study address the weaknesses by incorporating two additional constructs, namely the personal innovativeness in information technology (PIIT) and social influences (SI). Out of the 400 survey distributed to mobile users, 216 usable questionnaires were returned. The results uncovered that the intention to adopt m-learning has significant relationship with TAM. The findings for PIIT, SI and the control variables of age, gender and academic qualifications however show mixed results. The results provide valuable information for mobile manufacturers, service providers, educational institutions and governments when strategizing their adoption strategies. Additionally, from the perspective of an emerging market, the study has successfully extended TAM with psychological constructs.

The relationship between TQM, learning orientation and market performance in service organisations: an empirical analysis

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tridimensional relationship between total quality management (TQM), learning orientation and market performance of Malaysian service firms, in which TQM is hypothesised as a platform to enhance both learning orientation and market performance of a company. Furthermore, this empirical paper also investigates whether effective learning orientation can bring about improved market performance. The sample data are collected from 146 service firms in Malaysia. To examine the relationship between TQM, learning orientation and market performance of the service organisations in Malaysia, the structural equation modelling analysis was employed. The survey evidence identified that the adoption of TQM practices in service organisations is positively and significantly related to both learning orientation and market performance. However, learning orientation did not show any significant correlation with market performance of the firm, implying that learning orientation does not provide extensive opportunities for a service organisation to attain a higher market performance. The managers of the service firms who intend to achieve organisational success through the implementation of TQM practices that support their firms learning orientation and enhance their market performance will be able to benefit from this research paper.