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

QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF TAM

113

believes that the criteria for technology adoption include user buy-in and having an integration

strategy. Pre-adoption approaches included organizational planning and engaging with

consultants. Challenges or barriers to adoption include employee resistance, perceived ease of

use, and perceived usefulness. In addition to the CRM system, many employees utilize ad hoc

systems. Deborah states that the potential risks of CRM adoption include data security, poor data

management, and adoption failure. She reported that the CRM is perceived as difficult to use and

not useful. She also stated that the CRM has the potential to better enable outreach, engagement,

and communications through targeted communications, data centralization, and data-driven

decision-making.

Krystal Parks

Krystal Parks is an Extension director at a university in the northeastern region. Her

university currently uses an event management system that is also a CRM system known as

Momentous. She defines CRM as contact and data management, as well as strategic marketing

and communications. She believes the benefits of a CRM system include customer insights and

strategic marketing and communications. She reports a low success rate with the adoption of the

CRM at her university. There is no local champion present, and employee acceptance of the

technology is also low, with high resistance. The reasons for resistance were stated to be policies

and procedures, data security, perceived usefulness, digital literacy, and perceived ease of use.

Krystal states the critical success factors include perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.

Similarly, she states that the criteria for technology adoption also include perceived usefulness

and perceived ease of use. The pre-adoption approaches reported include training and support.

Challenges in adoption were stated to be employee resistance, policies and procedures, and

perceived ease of use. Current systems in use include the Momentous Event Management and