QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF TAM
76
customer satisfaction in the implementation of a CRM system and mediates the relationship
between top management support and customer satisfaction of CRM system implementation.
Situation to Communication Tradition
One might think that in the context of CRM systems, the TAM is a better fit within the
cybernetics tradition due to the nature of the flow of information and feedback throughout those
technology systems. However, this research is not examining how data flows through an
information system, but how the adoption and usage of the system itself flows through a social
system. Maguire (2006) describes the socio-psychological tradition of communication as
communication being theorized as expression, interaction, and influence. Griffin (2011)
elaborates on this point by stating that researchers believe there are communication truths that
can be discovered through careful, systematic observation and look for cause-and-effect
relationships that can predict results when people communicate. Often, causal links can be
discovered that help explain how a practitioner can identify paths to desired behavior changes
(Griffin, 2011).
On the other hand, the TAM does not fit squarely into any of the seven traditions of
human communication, but it does contain elements of other theoretical communication models
such as the diffusion of innovations theory and the uses and gratification theory. The TAM is
potentially a better fit within behavioral science traditions, but the inclusion of communication
perspectives into this model makes it an appropriate choice for examining the value of CRM
practices and technologies in the CES. Yet, in the context of communications studies, one could
argue that this model may still have a place in the socio-psychological tradition with existing
precedents. In a separate study of an agricultural organization like the CES, climate-smart
technologies were examined among farmers and producers through the lens of the TAM (Khoza
Powered by FlippingBook