Customer Relationship Management applied to higher education: developing an e-monitoring system to improve relationships in electronic learning environments

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has usually been associated with business contexts. However, it has recently been pointed out that its principles and applications are also very appropriate for non-profit making organisations. In this article, we defend the broadening of the field of application of CRM from the business domain to a wider context of relationships in which the inclusion of non-profit making organisations seems natural. In particular, we focus on analysing the suitability of adopting CRM processes by universities and higher educational institutions dedicated to electronic learning (e-learning). This is an issue that has much potential but has received little attention in research so far. Our work reflects upon this matter and provides a new step towards a CRM solution for managing relationships of specific customers, such as students. Indeed, the main contribution of this article is specifically characterised by the proposal and empirical application of an e-monitoring system that aims to enhance the performance of relationships in e-learning environments.