Knowledge management, customer relationship management and innovation capabilities

Purpose The purpose of this study is to introduce a unified framework, which integrates knowledge management (KM) (knowledge acquisition, diffusion and application, knowledge from a customer, knowledge about customers and knowledge for customers), customer relationship management (CRM) success (information sharing, customer involvement, long-term partnership, joint-problem solving and technology-based CRM) and innovation capabilities (ICs) (product innovation, process innovation, marketing innovation, service innovation and administrative innovation). Then empirically test the effect of KM on CRM success, the effect of CRM success on IC and the impact of KM on IC through the mediator. Design/methodology/approach Statistical techniques used included confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using AMOS to test the hypotheses. Findings The results show that KM influences CRM success, which, in turn, affects IC and KM impacts IC through CRM success. Research limitations/implications The study uses data provided by only one key informant per firm, which could involve a degree of subjectivity. This study is cross-sectional, which prevents us from examining the evolution over time of the phenomenon under investigation. Practical implications If organizations fully comprehend KM and CRM, they would be able to implement them successfully, creating value for their companies and fostering IC. Originality/value The existing research on CRM and KM is primarily conceptual and descriptive in nature and empirical research confirming the real impact of KM processes when developing a CRM innovation is lacking. The relationship between ICs and CRM has not been adequately studied. Hence, this study introduces a conceptual framework, which integrates KM, CRM, ICs and empirically tests the relationships among them.