Small business usage of IQMS customer relationship management application: An investigation of the extended technology acceptance model

Customer relationship management (CRM) applications are no longer expensive software that only big companies could afford. Recently, small businesses have increasingly begun to take advantage of this technology. However, results have been reported far short of expectations. Even though there are numerous reasons for unsatisfactory outcomes, inadequate user acceptance or usage emerges as one of the most critical factors. The purpose of the study is to develop and empirically test an extended technology acceptance model that explains or predicts utilization of CRM applications implemented in small businesses. The model theorizes that perceived usefulness and subjective norms predict usage behavior while perceived usefulness is predicted by result demonstrability and job relevance. Results of multiple regression analysis from a survey of 82 IQMS customer relationship management module users in small companies across mainly North America indicated that the model is effective at explaining usage. Subjective norms show non-significant effects. The research adds to the literature another model for examining CRM application usage in small businesses.