Collaborative e-product development and product innovation in a demand-driven network: the moderating role of eCRM
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Collaborative e-product development and product innovation in a demand-driven network: the moderating role of eCRM Pierre Hadaya & Luc Cassivi
Received: 8 September 2008 / Accepted: 19 February 2009 / Published online: 18 March 2009 # Institute of Information Management, University of St. Gallen 2009
Abstract Customer relationships, product development, data integration and demand-driven supply chains are key concepts for companies that wish to remain competitive in today’s global economy. To address this important information management issue, the present study examines how, within a demand-driven network context, an eCRM can influence the interorganizational product development process between a manufacturer and its key customers. The theoretical model, built on research related to a technology assimilation model based on Fichman’s (2000) work, was tested on data from 104 manufacturers in the wireless equipment sector. The results show that the adoption of an eCRM does not moderate the relationship between collaborative e-product development involving a manufacturer and its key customers and product innovation within the manufacturer itself. Moderated regression analyses also demonstrate that, among the manufacturers that have adopted an eCRM, the impact of collaborative e-product development by the manufacturer and its key customers on product innovation within the company will be stronger when investments in the eCRM implementation, internal integration of the eCRM, and eCRM usage are higher than lower. Finally, the findings show that investments in the eCRM implementation, internal integration of eCRM and eCRM usage are also antecedents of product innovation within the manufacturer. This contribution, at the intersection of the CRM and product development Responsible editor: Nicholas C. Romano, Jr. P. Hadaya (*) : L. Cassivi Department of Management and Technology, École des Sciences de la Gestion, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Downtown Station, H3C 3P8 Montreal, QC, Canada e-mail: [email protected]
research streams, should give academics and practitioners alike a better understanding of the role of eCRMs in the product development process. Keywords Customer relationship management (CRM) . Information technology . Information systems . Electronic product development . Product innovation JEL classification M15
Introduction Maintaining good customer relationships is imperative for companies seeking growth and profit in today’s competitive global market (Shah and Murtaza 2005). Indeed, companies are increasingly realizing that their customers are their most important assets (Plakoyiannaki and Saren 2006). They are also viewing customer relationships as mutually beneficial relational exchanges and opportunities that need to be managed (Grönroos 1994; Plakoyiannaki and Saren 2006; Reinartz and Kumar 2000). Customer Relationship Management (CRM) can be defined as an “enterprise approach to understanding and influencing customer behaviour through meaningful communications in order
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