Technology Acceptance Model in U.S. Extension: CRM Adoption

QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF TAM

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Landon states that CRM technologies can have implications on outreach, engagement, and

communications through strategic marketing, and contact and data management.

Matthew Ryan

Matthew Ryan is an Extension specialist in the northeastern region. His university

currently utilizes Salesforce, and Matthew defines CRM within the scope of lifecycle contact

management. He states that the benefits of CRM technologies include contact and data

management, revenue generation, strategic marketing and communications, automation, and

client insights. Matthew notes that there is low employee acceptance of the Salesforce system

and suggests that a local champion was not present, as employees utilize training provided by

Salesforce. The reasons for employee resistance include leadership commitment, poor policies

and procedures, digital literacy, and training failure. Matthew states that the critical success

factors include the presence of a champion, training and support, perceived usefulness,

leadership commitment, policies, and procedures, and accountability. He also states that the

criteria for technology adoption include usefulness and considerations of cost and resources.

Matthews notes that training and support, perceived usefulness, employee resistance, leadership

commitment, change management, policies and procedures, poor data management, and

integration and interface issues are the primary barriers to adoption. At present, the university

uses both CRM and various ad hoc systems. Alternative approaches to CRM include the

utilization of various ad hoc systems. Potential risks of CRM implementation include poor data

management, adoption failure, data security, data privacy, as well as costs and resources.

Matthew indicated that the Salesforce system is perceived as difficult to use and not useful. He

suggested that CRM technologies may have implications for outreach, engagement, and

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