QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF TAM
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Chapter 2: Review of Literature
A direct search of existing literature was performed to gain insights from past studies on
CRM technologies in organizations. Most studies were successful in addressing critical success
factors, implementation failures, and adoption strategies, but no studies were able to successfully
address the adoption of CRM implementation in the CES. This literature review details CRM ’s
impact on organizational performance, adoption, and implementation successes and failures and
highlight s conceptual framework literature focused on Davis’ TAM.
This research aims to explore the successes, challenges, and opportunities of CRM in the
CES. The problem is that a significant number of land-grant university Extension programs are
not utilizing CRM technologies, despite evidence suggesting they would enhance their
communications efforts and their outreach and engagement mission. According to Judd (2019),
approximately 40% of all land-grant universities in the United States are utilizing CRM
technologies, and a significant portion of those are not commercial systems with industry-
standard features. Approximately 40% of these universities are evaluating the use of CRM
technologies, while the remaining have no plans to utilize CRM (Judd, 2019). The specific
problem to be addressed is identifying the barriers that exist in adopting CRM technologies in
the CES and what implications a lack of CRM usage has on communications, outreach, and
engagement efforts in the digital age.
Based on data from the assessment by Stephen Judd (2019) and the more recent
landscape assessment as part of this research, the TAM provides a solid model to examine the
perceived ease of use and the perceived usefulness of CRM systems in the CES, which may be a
variable for acceptance and adoption. This extensive review of literature examines the TAM in
the context of CRM systems, and one area of concern for many organizations, both within the
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