The effects of Information and Communication Technology on Customer Relationship Management and customer lock-in

The continual advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have opened many new global opportunities for businesses. To help them strategically compete, many Taiwanese businesses have invested in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The survey results of Taiwan's largest companies indicate that three CRM elements benefiting from ICT, market orientation, IT investment and mass customisation, have positive relationships with CRM performance and partnership quality, and CRM performance has a positive relationship customer lock-in. The findings also indicate that CRM performance mediates the effects of the CRM elements on customer network effect.