Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) has revolutionized the interaction between companies and customers, creating new opportunities and challenges for both parties. This study aims to present an innovative model for identifying the dimensions and components of SCRM. The data were collected based on a qualitative research design utilizing the meta-synthesis method, following the seven steps outlined by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). Considering the relevance to the research topic and the quality of sources, 31 studies were selected for the final evaluation. To assess the reliability of the findings, the kappa coefficient for inter-coder agreement was used, resulting in a kappa value of 0.79. The results, analyzed using MAXQDA20 software, 2 dimensions, 6 categories, and 16 concepts identified. The company-focused dimension included 3 categories: factors influencing adoption, inhibitors, and outcomes of implementation. Similarly, the customer-focused dimension identified 3 categories: factors influencing adoption, inhibitors, and outcomes of implementation. Ultimately, a comprehensive model for SCRM was developed. The results of this research can be utilized by academic references as well as companies and consumers.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is widely used by many businesses around the world to collect customer data in order to provide better services to them (Sota et al., 2018). There are different interpretations of what CRM means, but the study of CRM emerged as a key research stream in the early 1990s, at the same time as it became widely used (Chikweche & Fletcher, 2013). CRM is a very important tool of the organization which helps to increase customer loyalty and satisfaction for long-term management between companies and customers. It is a concept that tries to create a relationship with customers by considering two important factors: marketing and customers (Yadollahinia et al., 2018). Social media platforms facilitate easy access to and search of opinions and interactions among members of society, while enabling companies to collect and utilize user-generated data for decision-making purposes. A vast amount of data collected through social media platforms, such as Facebook, ‘X’, and LinkedIn, is trackable and can be transformed into behavioral models that depict users' actions, communications, and preferences. Therefore, this data provides valuable insights for analysis and interpretation (Alshawawreh et al., 2024).
Today, companies have moved from focusing their attention on a transaction-based sales platform to a more relationship-based approach. A particular business must be defined by its customers through a continuous relationship (Nguyen & Mutum, 2012). Social Customer relationship management (SCRM) is an emerging idea that combines Social Media (SM) with traditional CRM to benefit businesses and their customers (Guha et al., 2018). The presence of the internet and advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have significantly created new markets and transformed existing ones. Electronic entrepreneurship refers to launching an internet-based business to sell products or offering services online through informational communication channels (Abdelfattah et al., 2022). By leveraging digital innovations, companies produce quality products to meet consumer needs (Abbas et al., 2024).
The emergence of SM platforms challenges the traditional view of CRM activities and creates an environment in which these activities are less structured, which is caused by the increase in interactive behavior with customers (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2013). SCRM is a phenomenon that has been formed with the expansion of social networks; during the last decade, academics and professionals have become very interested in SCRM (Agnihotri et al., 2017). Business owners who heavily rely on SM to manage customer relations are more likely to express more satisfaction with their company's performance (Charoensukmongkol & Sasatanun, 2017). In general, digital transformation entails changes in thinking processes, with continuous optimization of processes and organizational procedures (Nunes et al., 2021).
Over the past decades, CRM has proven to be a vital tool in increasing a company's profitability, and it enables managers to identify the most loyal customers and meet their needs, to keep them loyal to the company's activities (Nguyen & Mutum, 2012; Lei et al., 2023). Peppers and Rogers (1996) noted that most businesses may lose 25 % of their existing customers annually. According to Pareto's 80/20 rule, the top 20 % of a business's customers account for 80 % of its profits. As a result, businesses that wish to make a profit must retain the top 20 % of their customers by preventing them from defecting (Lin et al., 2009). With the global explosion of SM use, businesses are feeling intense pressure to engage where their customers are paying attention. Today, this center of customer activity is increasingly virtual and located within an SM or social networking site (Heller Baird & Parasnis, 2011). Electronic entrepreneurship is an internet-based practical program that relies on information technology for managing business activities. It relies heavily on digital platforms such as email, social media channels, online business transformation, e-commerce websites, and other similar informational avenues (Abdelfattah et al., 2023). The adoption of artificial intelligence in the market can significantly enhance productivity, decision-making, and customer experience, ultimately helping companies gain a competitive advantage (Abdelfattah et al., 2024).
Big data has emerged as a particularly popular research topic since the beginning of the 21st century, with researchers finding it intriguing due to the technological revolution that enables the analysis of all available data. However, big data poses both an opportunity and a challenge. Its value lies not in its variability or size, but rather in how it is analyzed and utilized for better decision-making. Therefore, it transforms it into valuable insights. For customer relationship management, utilizing data analysis to establish communication with customers and understand their expectations is crucial (Mansour et al., 2024). Factors such as organizational quality, human capital, research and development costs, and per capita gross domestic product have a significantly positive impact on organizational innovations (Danta & Rath, 2024). Due to their strong dependence on SM, today's consumers have become a group called "social customers" who are no longer passive recipients, but powerful participants who have the ability to direct discussions about their companies (Chan et al., 2018). Social innovation fundamentally relies on socially constructed interactions between businesses, organizations, institutions, and social actors (Daniel & Jenner, 2022; Rozsa et al., 2022). Customers are adopting and using SM to communicate with businesses at an increasing rate due to its ubiquity. These customers often experience better service and a stronger bond with businesses they can connect with on SM (Greenberg, 2010). Businesses can now integrate SM with their activities to retain customers (Hidayanti et al., 2018). Brand pages can increase brand popularity and be effective in influencing customers' attitudes and decisions (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016). Companies need an efficient SCRM system that incorporates SM content into traditional CRM in order to better manage the customer life cycle and activities, i.e. customer acquisition and retention (Jang et al., 2021).
Companies are fully aware of the pivotal role customer satisfaction plays in their overall success. Moreover, many researchers have discovered the role of customer satisfaction in creating and maintaining strategic competitive advantage. Some even argue that customer satisfaction precedes quality (Drosos et al., 2020). The public nature of SM provides an innovative way for brands to interact publicly and manage relationships with their customers, which can increase brand awareness and customer loyalty (Bapna et al., 2019). SCRM can help companies create a positive customer experience that helps develop customer loyalty and patronage, and customers see themselves as partners and feel that they share in the company's success (Wongsansuk et al., 2012). The reputation of a company is an intangible asset determined by its actions and previous experiences. Emotions play a significant role in customers' perceptions of corporate reputation (CR), so companies must pay close attention to this aspect. Businesses can enhance their reputation by collaborating with people to disseminate their message through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and attract the attention of media, communities, consumers, and others (Streimikiene et al., 2021).
Innovation management can help companies maintain their market position by consistently delivering high-quality products while simultaneously meeting the changing demands of consumers and the political landscape. Additionally, innovation within organizations should be compatible with dynamically changing economic, social, technological, and environmental contexts (Gerlach & Brem, 2017). It is also necessary to consider that SCRM is not limited to the adoption of technology. It creates a shared dialogue environment to provide desirable values in a transparent and reliable business environment (Greenberg, 2010). Companies evaluate social and technical communications together because analyzing how they are implemented and evolve plays a fundamental role in the success of companies. In today's world, social and technical elements must collaborate to create and maintain a better network (Lima et al., 2016). On the other hand, organizational culture can foster social innovations. Employee interaction at all levels can shape the organizational culture as receptive to innovative practices. A climate that supports employee innovation, personal initiative, and psychological safety can even enhance the organization's innovation capacity (do Adro & Leitão, 2020). Loyalty creates customers for the brand who connect emotionally with the brand (Thaichon et al., 2020). Even the relationship between perceived creativity and electronic entrepreneurship is stronger when there is greater use of social media (Abdelfattah et al., 2022).
Preliminary evidence suggests that the use of social media among customers is not particularly common, as there is a low understanding of its usability, largely due to their private use of social media (Ancillai et al., 2024). SCRM has a special focus on customer satisfaction because customer dissatisfaction leads to customer churn (Suh et al., 2018), while customer retention is vital for business growth and customer retention for a long time (White, 2017). SM platforms can exacerbate the negative consequences of brand crisis. At the same time, the unique and public nature of SM platforms can provide new tools for brands to deal with brand crisis (Al Balawi et al., 2023). Converting traditional methods to SCRM can enable an organization or society to have direct and instant conversations with customers, monitor their speech, and facilitate constructive conversations. Hence, this strategy is necessary as a new business approach which can extend the capabilities of today's traditional CRM (Olszak & Bartu, 2013). Many studies emphasize the failure of managers to obtain a high level of customer loyalty and maximize profits to increase and maintain satisfaction and loyalty (Khan et al., 2022). Customer loyalty to the organization indicates satisfaction with the final product (Rather et al., 2019). Even business icons have made statements that it takes 20 years to build a positive reputation for a company and only five minutes to destroy it; a company's reputation is one of the most valuable assets in achieving competition (Khan et al., 2022). The post-COVID-19 era has brought about a historical shift in consumer purchasing behavior towards e-commerce. This change in consumer behavior poses a challenge for marketers to attract and retain customers in the "omnichannel" world, where customer loyalty (CL) is hard to come by. CL positively impacts sales and reduces advertising costs, leading to higher profitability (Banerji & Singh, 2024) The impact of social CRM on customer satisfaction (CS) and CL varies from one sector to another and between developed and developing countries. While organizations in developed economies leverage intelligent technologies, organizations in developing countries are expanding basic information systems (IS), with many still striving to digitize their services. Consequently, investment in social CRM solutions in developing countries lags behind developed countries, and the returns and impact on CS and CL have yet to be evaluated clearly (Malki et al., 2023).
Brand crisis is not limited to the market share and sales of a brand (Van Heerde et al., 2007), but can significantly affect other non-economic results such as brand reputation and company marketing activities (Liu & Shankar, 2015). Responding to complaints and listening to customers on SM has a positive effect on customer behavior (Gu & Ye, 2014), but in the era of SM, a crisis can have a different effect on brand reputation and customer reaction compared to traditional media (Utz et al., 2013). Businesses that utilize social media for their sales generate three times more profit than other businesses. However, ensuring the protection and security of users' privacy and data on social media platforms is crucial for digital owners (Abdelfattah et al., 2023) .There may be significant financial costs associated with adopting innovation from external sources, which can make the adoption of new innovations challenging for some companies and developing countries (Vagnani & Volpe, 2017). Governments may positively reinforce social innovation, while social innovation alongside the government aims to serve citizens centrally (Phillips et al., 2024).
By examining the studies conducted on the subject of SCRM, what can be seen is that most of the attention of researchers is on companies and less attention has been paid to the customer's perspective on SCRM (Chan et al., 2018). There is still no complete understanding of the customer perspective on social selling because the literature on social selling emphasizes the crucial role of salespeople's perception of customers and sales strategies (Ancillai et al., 2024). The producer-centric innovation model and the traditional perspective that views households solely as consumers have led policymakers and regulators to largely overlook the user-centric innovation model and the importance of user-driven innovations for a country. In general, innovation policies have been predominantly supply-focused, neglecting the demand side (Bengtsson & Edquist, 2022). Paying attention to customers and focusing on their needs and expectations can increase the success of SCRM. Beyond material motivation and, on the other hand, for customers and consumers, communicating and paying attention to their feelings increases customer satisfaction and loyalty (Alshurideh, 2023). Some aspects of consumer experiences only create positive emotions, while others evoke negative feelings. However, most research has been primarily focused on positive consumer emotions (Souki et al., 2023). Therefore, the basic problem of the current research is to identify the ideal type of SCRM model and also to provide a comprehensive and general view according to the opinions of experts to identify the dimensions and categories of the SCRM model.
In the next parts of the research, first the theoretical literature and the background of the research are discussed. Then, according to the method of Sandelowski and Barroso (2007), we advance the steps of meta-synthesis research regularly and step by step to achieve the findings of the study; according to the findings of the study, managerial results are presented. Then the identified model resulting from the review of selected research is presented and finally the limitations of the research are mentioned and suggestions for future research are presented.
Literature reviewCRM is defined as organizational strategies, processes, and information technology (IT) that enable the organization to increase revenue and meet customer needs (Khan et al., 2022). The purpose of the CRM strategy is to search, collect and store appropriate information, share it throughout the organization and then use it at all organizational levels to create a personal and unique experience for the customer (Gholami et al., 2015), with the aim of increasing profits and production, as well as reducing costs and improving customer relations (Stokić et al., 2019). CRM is a strategic business approach that is defined based on the relational marketing theory as "the process of acquiring, maintaining and partnering with selected customers to create superior value for the company and the customer" (Ibrahim et al., 2022). CRM focuses on the day-to-day management of customer relationships. Its purpose includes all tasks that require direct contact with customers (Kumar et al., 2016). CRM provides support for various business processes, including customer service, order management, sales and marketing automation (Gil-Gomez et al., 2020). To achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, technology is one of the vital and important resources in any organization and is a necessary factor for the successful implementation of CRM (Dubey & Sangle, 2019). Using CRM in three stages – starting the relationship, maintaining the relationship, and ending the relationship with the customer – is important and essential, and its goal is to develop the relationship with the customer at every moment (Reinartz et al., 2004). The three basic foundations of CRM are technology, processes and human resources. Technology suggests the use of new technologies. Processes should be implemented as structural changes that aim to quickly meet customer needs, and HR strategies should focus on the employment of workers so that they understand what HR duties are (Saura et al., 2021).
Getting close to customers is the main priority of CEOs. Today's businesses are aggressively creating SM programs to do this (Heller Baird & Parasnis, 2011). The young generation feels comfortable using the virtual world as a social network and information dissemination platform. It is important to reach this generation and using the virtual world instead of traditional channels makes it easier. SCRM is not just a technology issue or a combination of SM and CRM, and SCRM is not only a replacement for traditional CRM, but it is a development that allows the combination and integrating of SM data with existing CRM processes (Medjani & Barnes, 2021). Most companies are integrating SM platforms into their current CRM system (Ferrer-Estévez & Chalmeta, 2023). While CRM focuses more on better targeting of marketing messages, SCRM involves building relationships and interacting with customers, viewing, redirecting, and engaging in conversations and activities. Adding SM to CRM is not enough to change to SCRM; the performance of SM helps companies to interact with customers and manage their information based on CRM to increase customer relationship performance (Kamboj et al., 2018). Unlike traditional CRM, SM allows brands to interact with their customers in a public space, strengthening these relationships and maintaining higher levels of customer engagement (Al Balawi et al., 2023). CRM as an emerging approach that meets the needs of modern business is transformed into SCRM, which aims to enrich customer experiences using new age technology such as SM. This new dimension of CRM, commonly known as SCRM, includes customer-centric activities such as processes and technologies, with growing SM programs to engage users in collaborative conversations and enrich customer relationships (Greenberg, 2010). There are three levels of customer-brand interaction, and the goal of SCRM is for customers to engage with the brand at the third level. Level one, consumption, involves customers watching, listening to, and reading brand content. Level two, participation, refers to engaging in social interactions by liking, sharing, or commenting on brand-generated content. Finally, level three, creation, involves customers generating and sharing their own content to express themselves and foster self-actualization (Ciunova-Shuleska et al., 2024).
New social media platforms have transformed social interactions in everyday life and gained increasing popularity as marketing tools for creating and managing customer relationships. For instance, marketing principles aim to influence customer behavior, build brand awareness, and target specific groups based on voluntary acceptance and addressing social issues. New influencers can be identified on social media platforms to help companies effectively focus on managing customer relationships and communication (Abdelfattah et al., 2024). An increasing number of new opportunities for successful CRM activities are created by SM platforms such as Facebook and ‘X’. In addition, SM marketing offers an innovative way for brands to create public engagement, manage relationships with their customers and increase customer loyalty. However, in general, using SM when interacting with customers has risks; negative WOM advertising on SM platforms is a clear example of this (Al Balawi et al., 2023). SM has grown in popularity as a means of communication between businesses and their customers in recent years. SM conversations actually facilitate sales and reduce churn (Vargha, 2018). In the initial stage of digital technology development, governments should focus on developing digital infrastructures and providing digital skills training. During the growth phase, governments should provide tax incentives and financial support for innovation to promote industrial development and technological innovations. In the maturity phase, it is essential for governments to strengthen regulations and data privacy protection (Zhang et al., 2024).
Using social media enables the regular and continuous introduction of new products tailored to the variable needs of customers. Online marketing management may gather valuable information about customers' needs, desires, and expectations, which can later be transformed into a customized service or product. This, in turn, increases customer satisfaction and trust in the company (Pérez-Orozco et al., 2024). During customer-company interactions, positive or negative emotions may arise in the consumer. Some of the negative emotions include anger, frustration, disappointment, sorrow, and dissatisfaction. On the other hand, indicators of positive emotions in consumers may include happiness, excitement, calmness, satisfaction, and eagerness (Souki et al., 2023). With the help of social media analytics, businesses can analyze market trends, understand customer preferences, and track their competitors' activities. This data-driven approach enables companies to quickly adapt to changing market conditions and make informed decisions aligned with their overall objectives. The emergence of big data has transformed modern commerce by improving decision-making, streamlining operations, and assisting companies in navigating the complexities of the global market. However, this paradigm shift towards data-centricity poses new probabilities and challenges, with far-reaching effects on strategic management and organizational behavior. Big data is essential for optimizing workforce dynamics and understanding organizational behavior. The emergence of social media as a catalyst for beneficial improvements in organizational behavior and strategic management can be attributed to its pervasive penetration and dynamic features. Furthermore, social media platforms provide a unique space for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to CSR and sustainability. Organizations can effectively promote their CSR activities, environmentally-friendly practices, and social participation initiatives through the strategic use of social media (Mansour et al., 2024). Big Data Analytics (BDA) is primarily associated with social media, which serves as the largest source of data repositories for companies. BDA is also linked to the type of electronic services collected by relevant social media, which is one of the most important components of electronic word-of-mouth advertising. However, few quantitative studies have addressed this aspect. The use of BDA requires the synchronization of big data storage technologies, analytical capabilities, and managerial knowledge, which can pose a technical challenge for companies lacking the ability to extract valuable insights from data (Alshawawreh et al., 2024).
Literature suggests that technology and design are two important sources and drivers of social innovation (SI). The main technological trends of the new era, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning, unmanned aerial vehicles, 3D printing, and blockchain, have transformed the current innovation landscape to address emerging social challenges (C. Li & Bacete, 2022). Organizations aiming to achieve sustainable advantages or survive in today's unpredictable business landscape must excel in performance and innovation. While these two factors are vital for organizational survival, they are interdependent on several related factors such as organizational structure, motivations, leadership styles, technologies, resources, geographical differences, and temporal aspects, as well as congruence (Nunes et al., 2021). High bureaucracy, formal communications, lack of employee involvement, middle managers' resistance to change, and risk aversion are the main barriers to innovation and change (Alshwayat et al., 2023). Ensuring the quality and reliability of data is crucial because information sources may contain errors, inconsistencies, or biases. Identifying data sources, including social networks, sensors, Internet of Things devices, and websites, as well as managing customer feedback, is essential. It is worth noting that the adoption of BDA in a company may pose challenges in managing personal and confidential data, which can have negative implications in terms of privacy and security concerns (Alshawawreh et al., 2024).
Human capital-related factors (knowledge, skills, and employee expertise), structural capital (organizational structures, processes, and systems), and relational capital (relationships with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders) enhance social innovation in companies (Al Daboub et al., 2024). One definition of global innovation capability is the financial penetration of a country in creating, disseminating, and accepting new ideas. A country's gross domestic product is a key determinant of innovation performance measured by the Global Innovation Index and efficiency (Nasir & Zhang, 2024). Resources such as human capital, technology, and business competencies can be utilized to cultivate CRM capabilities that enhance overall performance. Various resources have been identified in the literature to influence companies' readiness to adopt SCRM, including internal financial resources, management innovation, employee knowledge, management support, and governmental support (Mohammed et al., 2024). The digital financial economy can leverage new digital technologies such as digital currencies, big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence to overcome the constraints of time and space in traditional economic activities. A long-term equilibrium relationship can even be observed between the real economy and the digital economy (Liu et al., 2024). Companies must evaluate their credibility by assessing their economic, strategic, marketing, organizational, and socio-cultural perspectives. Customer trust plays a fundamental and prominent role in the success of a company. In the event of serious misconduct by a company, consumers can boycott the company's products, and the wider community will lose trust in the company. Authorities may even impose restrictions on helping the company in crucial situations. In general, a negative reputation for a company has a negative impact on stakeholders and reduces the long-term income of the company (Streimikiene et al., 2021).
Customer satisfaction is one of the most critical strategic components that every company should utilize. To enhance customer satisfaction, the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) can be conducted based on customer satisfaction. Companies should operate at a point that is important to customers and which also demonstrates high performance, i.e., in the top-right quadrant of Fig. 1. In the bottom-left quadrant, both the company's performance is low, and the product or service offered by the company is not significant to customers. In the bottom-right quadrant, the product is important to customers, but the company's performance is low, requiring the company to improve its performance. In the top-left quadrant, the company's performance is high, but the product is not important to customers, prompting the company to focus on new products or services to thrive in favorable conditions (Drosos et al., 2021b).
SWOT for customer satisfaction (Drosos et al., 2021).
Malthouse et al. (2013) consider the requirements of a SCRM system to include three main tasks: identifying, interpreting, and generating information. SCRM gives businesses the ability to collect vital data about their customers in addition to communicating directly and building close relationships with them. The individual, primary and secondary processes of the social customer relationship process model are shown in Fig. 2. This form includes four main processes: listening, analyzing and preparing, acting, and measuring (Kassem et al., 2022).
SCRM life cycle (Kassem et al., 2022).
Mintzberg defined change as a situation where many old rules no longer apply. People often have to abandon the roots of their past successes and develop entirely new skills and attitudes. Charles Handy argues that the nature of change today is different from previous changes, in that today is discontinuous, not part of patterns or cycles that previous economic and social systems dominated. Due to globalization and the advancement of information technology, organizations seek to create strategic alliances among themselves to compete. Today, they are no longer forced to rely on their own resources and be self-sufficient. Instead, they can leverage global networks. With the advancement of the world, change management is seen as an opportunity for organizations to improve their competitive advantage, profits, and productivity. Companies worldwide become more specialized, focusing on their core competencies and relying heavily on specific markets. On the other hand, change management is a process that creates perceived effectiveness among the workforce. In general, proper change management increases the satisfaction of internal and external stakeholders of organizations (Drosos et al., 2021a). Table 1 summarizes the previous SCRM literature.
Overview of SCRM background.
| Author | Title | Research method | Research result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurfarida et al. (2023) | Social customer relationship management and business performance: Evidence from small and medium enterprises | Quantitative | Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) has a positive impact on the competitive advantage, innovation capability, and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia. |
| Medjani and Barnes (2021) | SCRM and Organizational Performance: A Conceptual Model in North Africa | Quantitative | SCRM improves corporate performance through CRM capabilities and customer engagement. |
| Heller Baird and Parasnis (2011) | From SM to SCRM | Quantitative | From the perspective of managers, the relationship through SM increases customer loyalty by up to 70 %, but from the perspective of customers it was only 30 %. 64 % of customers stated that they like to interact with companies they already know. |
| Phillips et al. (2024) | Shifting the paradigm: A critical review of social innovation literature | Qualitatively | Social innovation research in the past decade has been grounded in three main paradigms: instrumental, power-based, and democratic. Most academic environments are predominantly influenced by the instrumental and power-based paradigms. For social innovation to truly transform society, it requires a democratic paradigm. |
| Gamage et al. (2023) | Understanding SCRM: A Qualitative Insight | Qualitatively | Eleven factors have influenced the adoption of SCRM: excellent management, allocation of resources, appropriate technology infrastructure, necessary financial resources, skilled manpower, organizational climate, functional learning, encouraging employee participation, creating a common vision, management support and commitment. |
| Kassem et al. (2022) | SCRM: developing the relationship between the company and the customer | Qualitatively (Delphi method) | SCRM includes four stage: listening, analyzing and preparing, acting, and measuring. These stages were examined based on two technical and sociological perspectives. |
| Maecker et al. (2016) | The impact of SM on CRM | Qualitatively | Customer-company interaction through SM reduces customer churn and increases company profitability. |
| Swarts et al. (2016) | SCRM by construction contractors in Tasmania | Qualitatively | To increase profitability, companies should consider two strategies: constant attention to SCRM and segmentation based on customer values. |
The current research is fundamental in terms of its purpose and interpretive in terms of research philosophy. In terms of data collection, it is descriptive and exploratory, and since it seeks to build concepts, patterns, and frameworks, it is qualitative and meta-synthesis based on the combination and analysis of codes and concepts of related research studies. The method of meta-synthesis analysis is a technique to identify and analyze concepts and patterns in a data set, which can extract both obvious meanings and non-obvious meanings and ideas from phrases and sentences in three stages: open coding, central coding, and selective coding. In synthesis research, the review of previous studies and the process of reframing concepts is done through the interpretative integration of previous results (Sandelowski & Barros, 2007). This process enables researchers to identify a specific research question and then seek to find, select, evaluate, summarize, and synthesize qualitative evidence to address the research questions. Based on this method, the information and findings extracted from previous studies related to and similar to the subject are examined and instead of providing a comprehensive summary of the findings, an interpretative combination of the findings is created (Erwin et al., 2011). Most research method models include the three-stage model of Noblit and Hare (1988), the six-stage model of Walsh and Dawn (2005), and the seven-stage model of Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). In this research, Sandelowski and Barroso's seven-step model, which is the most famous and widely used model of meta-synthesis research, has been used. The seven steps of the meta-synthesis method in Sandelowski and Barroso's method are shown in Fig. 3.
The seven-step model of Sandelowski and Barroso (2007).
In meta-synthesis research, the researcher adjusts his research questions according to Table 2.
Parameters and main research questions (Sandelowski & Barroso, 2007).
According to the four main questions, the concepts and themes of research studies about SCRM were analyzed and reviewed in valid international databases published between 2010 and 2024, the initial codes were identified and unrelated concepts were removed, and then the concepts and the obvious and hidden themes in the texts were identified and extracted. To answer the question of what are the dimensions and components that are effective in SCRM and what is the model resulting from the collection of research studies. Acceptance and non-acceptance criteria applied in the former studies are summarized in Table 3.
Acceptance and non-acceptance criteria of the studies extracted in the research.
Search strategy and selection of suitable articles are summarized in Fig. 4. Considering that the first article about SCRM was published in 2010 by Greenberg, the keywords of social customer relationship management and SCRM were searched in databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar) in the period from 2010 to 2024 in the title and abstract and keywords. The terms SCRM and social customer relationship management were searched in the Scopus database and 602 studies were found. In the next stage, 250 articles were selected by limiting the articles to the required topics according to the research. According to the abstract of the articles, 73 articles were then selected. In the next step, 29 articles were selected according to the English articles and the availability of the text of the articles. Finally, according to the review of the texts and the needs of the research, 21 articles were considered for the final review. Searching the Science Direct database with the keywords SCRM and social customer relationship management, we reached a total of 103 articles. Finally, 25 articles were selected by limiting the required subjects. According to the abstracts of the articles, 13 articles remained. Based on the content and availability of the articles, we reached nine articles, and from the remaining nine articles, three articles were selected for the final review by reviewing the texts of the articles. Searching the Web of Science database with the keywords SCRM and social customer relationship management, we found a total of 18 articles. According to the topic, 12 articles were selected. By reviewing the abstract, 10 articles were selected for review. Nine of them had full text, all of which were published from 2016 onwards. From the nine articles obtained, according to the texts and research needs, three articles were left for final review. Searching the Semantic Scholar database with the keywords SCRM and social customer relationship management, and according to the research topic, from the total of 13 reviewed articles, the full text of three articles was selected for the final review. Finally, in the Google Scholar database, according to the topic of the research and study needs, and by removing duplicate articles, and according to the quality of the publications and the review of the research content, out of the five reviewed articles, one article was selected for the final review. Finally, 31 articles were selected for the review and analysis of the texts and according to the critical appraisal skills program (CASP).
Searching and choosing suitable articles
At the beginning of the search process, it should be determined whether the texts are relevant to the research question or not, and in order to achieve this goal, the selected studies are reviewed several times. At this stage, articles and texts that are consistent with the topic are considered. Articles unrelated to the purpose of the research are removed. CASP was used to evaluate the research studies. "CASP" is a tool that is commonly used to assess the quality of primary qualitative research studies. This program has 10 questions that help the researcher to determine the accuracy, validity, and importance of the studies in question. These questions focus on the following: 1. Research objectives, 2. Method logic, 3. Research design, 4. Sampling method,
5. Data collection, 6. Reflexivity (including the relationship between the researcher and the participants), 7. Ethical studies, 8. Accuracy of data analysis, 9. Clear expression of findings and 10. Research value. At this stage, the researcher gives a quantitative score to each of these questions from 1 to 5, then the researcher adds up the scores of 10 questions based on the 50-point scale of the rubric, and each article below a good score (less than 30) is removed. From the remaining 65 articles after the initial search, according to the CASP, 31 articles scored higher than 30 and were used in the final evaluation.
Extracting the resultsAt this stage, based on the review of each article based on the selected code and the author's name and the year of publication of the research, the required concepts are extracted according to the present research in each article and stored in the form of a characteristic code in a separate file, and in the next step all the concepts from the 31 selected studies, in the form of 31 separate texts, are entered into the MAXQDA20. Then the initial coding was done with the help of the software, which resulted in obtaining 439 initial codes to reach the explicit and implicit concepts resulting from the reviewed research studies. The number of initial codes from each research can be seen in Table 4.
The number of initial codes obtained from the investigated studies.
| Authors | Methodology | Number of detected codes | Study code | Authors | Methodology | Number of detected codes | Study code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kassem et al. (2022) | Qualitatively | 9 | 17 | Afaq et al. (2023) | Quantitative | 5 | 1 |
| Chan et al. (2018) | Systematic review | 13 | 18 | Jalal et al. (2019) | Systematic review | 8 | 2 |
| Swarts et al. (2016) | Qualitatively | 10 | 19 | Woodcock et al. (2011) | Qualitatively | 37 | 3 |
| Arora et al. (2021) | Quantitative | 4 | 20 | Ang (2011) | Qualitatively | 15 | 4 |
| Gamage et al. (2023) | Qualitatively | 20 | 21 | Woodcock et al. (2010) | Qualitatively | 55 | 5 |
| Perez-Vega et al. (2022) | Bibliometric review | 37 | 22 | Sarkum et al. (2019) | Quantitative | 5 | 6 |
| Saura et al. (2021) | Mixed method | 25 | 23 | Al-Omoush et al. (2021) | Quantitative | 18 | 7 |
| Guerola-Navarro et al. (2021) | Qualitatively | 4 | 24 | Dewnarain et al. (2021) | Quantitative | 6 | 8 |
| Hasani et al. (2017) | Quantitative | 7 | 25 | Alshurideh (2023) | Quantitative | 7 | 9 |
| Kantorová and Bachmann (2018) | Quantitative | 2 | 26 | Heller Baird and Parasnis (2011) | Quantitative | 19 | 10 |
| Păvăloaia et al. (2019) | Mixed method | 12 | 27 | Diffley et al. (2018) | Quantitative | 16 | 11 |
| Andrade et al. (2023) | Quantitative | 4 | 28 | Medjani and Barnes (2021) | Quantitative | 7 | 12 |
| Ibrahim et al. (2021) | Quantitative | 4 | 29 | Lamrhari et al. (2022) | Quantitative | 40 | 13 |
| Ibrahim et al. (2022) | Mixed method | 4 | 30 | Al Balawi et al. (2023) | Quantitative | 8 | 14 |
| Li et al. (2023) | Systematic review | 24 | 31 | Charoensukmongkol and Sasatanun (2017) | Quantitative | 5 | 15 |
| Maecker et al. (2016) | Quantitative | 9 | 16 |
In the present study, a code was first assigned to all the extracted factors. Then, taking into account the implicit and explicit meaning of the initial codes, each of the codes was categorized in a similar concept, and in the next step, the categories in the concepts were identified by combining the related concepts, and finally, the identified categories were categorized in two dimensions. The initial codes obtained from several sample studies can be seen in Table 5.
Codes identified in several case studies.
| Codes | Authors | The subject of research | Extracted code |
| 1 | Afaq et al. (2023) | SCRM linking customer service and customer loyalty during Covid-19 in the hotel industry | Monitoring and tracking customer interactions through various platforms, creating personality and credibility, listening to social networks, managing relationships with online customers, co-creating innovative service experiences |
| 7 | Al-Omoush et al. (2021) | Determinants of SCRM entrepreneurship: An institutional perspective | Organizational fields, improving technology (3), understanding and paying attention to the institutional pressures of society, creating software that people like, changing customer behavior, increasing competitiveness, paying attention to external organizational pressures, strategic choice of SCRM, senior management support, corporate social responsibility, National cultural values, organizational learning, paying attention to the characteristics of industries and products, paying attention to human capital, improving organizational quality, increasing efficiency, increasing efficiency |
| 14 | Al Balawi et al. (2023) | Brand crisis and SCRM: Evidence from a natural experiment in the airline industry | The crisis created for the brand, strengthening the relationship with the customer (2), customer participation at a higher level, brand conservatism in SM, paying attention to customer complaints, not using the power of SM to reduce the effects of the brand crisis, limited financial resources of small brands |
| 21 | Gamage et al. (2023) | Understanding SCRM Adoption: Qualitative Insights | Customization of products and services required by customers, collaborative dialogue in a trusted business environment, tangible benefits, using each SM for specific purposes, hacking of SM accounts, customer privacy concerns, security concerns, Cost increase due to the use of SM, relationship with different people, culture, technology improvement (2), distinctive management capabilities, established operational capability, development of a common vision among employees, coordination of values and organizational culture with strategy, limitation of the company's capabilities, resources limited company, creating a supportive and collaborative work environment, good strategic approach to selection |
| 28 | Andrade et al. (2023) | CRM and Organizational Flexibility of Brazilian Microenterprises during the Covid-19 Pandemic | Developing organizational flexibility, improving technical skills of managers, lack of company experience, and resistance to technology adoption by the company |
Validity and reliability are concepts including defend-ability, believability, verifiability and even reflectivity of research results. One of the reliability indicators of qualitative research in this method is the evaluation of several documents in terms of reference to a specific index. In order to ensure the reliability and control of extracted concepts, coders' agreement method (Kappa coefficient) was used. For this purpose, the codes obtained from five research studies were given to an expert familiar with the subject to re-code. After that, the coefficient of agreement was calculated by using Cohen's Kappa coefficient, and its value of 0.79 obtained. It is worth noting that this value indicates a high agreement between the coders and, as a result, the validity of the research (McHugh, 2012). The formula of the Kappa coefficient is as follows, and the closer it is to one, the higher the agreement between the coders. P0 is called observed agreement and pe is called chance agreement.
Presentation of findings
After analyzing and categorizing the explicit and implicit concepts in the reviewed research studies in the dimension of focusing on the company, 104 initial codes were identified for the concept of managerial/human factors, which shows that most of the research studies have been conducted around this concept and managerial and human factors has been the most focused research to accept SCRM; this shows the great importance of skilled and expert human resources in this field. Then, for the technological/technology factors affecting the acceptance of SCRM, 67 initial codes were obtained, which shows the second rank of researchers' attention in this field, and this result also indicates the importance of using new technologies such as big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) in companies to successfully use mass media to communicate with customers. 28 initial codes were identified for the environmental/external factors in the adoption of SCRM. 18 initial codes were extracted for the concept of managerial/human factors in the investigation of factors inhibiting the use of SCRM. For the concept of technological/technology factors involved in not accepting SCRM, 19 negative factors were identified, and for the concept of environmental/external factors that have a negative impact on SCRM acceptance, 41 initial codes were identified. For the results of using SCRM for companies, 55 codes were identified for the concept of creating personality and credibility for the brand, and 51 codes were identified for the tangible and material results of using SCRM. In the second part of Fig. 5, which shows the dimension of focusing on the customer, even though it has attracted less attention from researchers in this field, but the managerial and human factors affecting the acceptance of SCRM. From the customer's point of view, 10 initial codes have been assigned to managerial and human factors, which is placed in the second rank. Technological/technology factors and environmental/external factors were each identified with six initial codes. And for the factors preventing the adoption of SCRM, from the customer's point of view, four codes were identified for the concept of human-management factors, two codes for the concept of technological/technology factors, and eight initial codes for the concept of environmental/external factors. In the third part of focusing on the customer, which is related to the factors resulting from the use of SCRM, 12 initial codes were identified for the intangible and psychological results, which is the most identified code in the dimension of customer focus, and this shows that researchers pay special attention to the dimension of customer focus. In this sense, eight initial codes were identified for tangible and material results.
Looking at Fig. 6, it is found that out of 383 identified codes, 199 codes are related to the category of factors affecting the acceptance of SCRM, which is 0.52. Among the identified codes, three categories show the focus on the company, 78 codes were identified for the other two categories, i.e., the inhibiting factors category, and 106 codes were identified for the application results category. In the dimension of customer focus, 22 initial codes were identified for the category of factors influencing acceptance, 14 codes were identified for inhibiting factors, and 20 initial codes were identified for the results of employment. In the identification of concepts focused on the effective factors of SCRM acceptance in both company and customer dimensions, the most identified codes were related to managerial/human factors. In examining the factors preventing the adoption of SCRM in both the company and customer dimensions, the most identified codes were related to environmental/external factors that the company and the customer had the ability to change, and as a result of applying SCRM in the company dimension, the most identified codes were related to creating personality and credibility for the brand, and in the customer dimension was also the most identified code related to intangible and psychological results for customers. Because SCRM is an emerging concept, this result is consistent with the theoretical foundations, because naturally, at the beginning of the emergence of a concept, more studies are focused on the concepts of its application. Out of the total 439 identified codes, 383 codes are related to the dimension of focusing on the company and 56 identified codes are the result of the focus of the studies on the customer.
Looking at Fig. 7, it can be seen that the cloud vocabulary observed is almost consistent with most of the concepts and categories and even the identified dimensions of the SCRM model. This shows that the researcher has succeeded to some extent in identifying the dimensions, categories and concepts used in the investigated research studies.
In Table 6, the dimensions of categories and concepts identified from the selected studies can be seen along with those obtained from the studies.
Dimensions, categories, and concepts identified in the research.
Table 7 shows the codes obtained from the studies.
The codes obtained in the research studies.
Based on the study conducted and the examination of the concepts in the research texts, 439 codes were identified. Finally, the study led to the identification of two general dimensions in the study: the first dimension is focusing on the company, and the second is focusing on the customer. In this research, most of the obtained codes were 0.87 which they focused on the company dimension and only 0.13 of the obtained codes were focused on the customer dimension, which confirms the systematic review of Chan et al. (2018), who concluded that out of 33 reviewed studies, 27 studies focused on the supply side (company) and only five studies focused on the demand (customer) side. As a result of the application of SCRM focused on companies, 55 codes were identified for the concept of creating character and credibility for the brand, and 51 codes were identified for the tangible and material results of the use of SCRM, which indicates that creating character and credibility for the brand is even more important to companies than just paying attention to material results. In the results of SCRM application, from the customer's point of view, 12 codes were identified for the concept of intangible and psychological results and eight initial codes were identified for tangible and material results, which shows the fact that in the research investigated in the dimension of focus on the customer, intangible results and the psychological factors resulting from the application of SCRM have received the most attention for the customer, which points to the fact that achieving intangible and psychological results for customers is more important than achieving purely material benefits. This shows that both companies have paid more attention to non-material gains and that companies should pay more attention to the satisfaction and psychological and mental motivations of their customers and not just pay attention to the material gains of their customers.
These results indicate that when managers and decision makers use SCRM to communicate with their customers, they should pay special attention to the psychological motivations and emotions of those customers along with the material and economic benefits of customer relations because customers are not only motivated by material models, and perhaps paying attention to their feelings and satisfaction will bring greater results to both companies and customers. Previous research on SCRM has been investigated and studied in a scattered and isolated manner. However, the current research has comprehensively examined SCRM from the two dimensions of the company and the customer. In both aspects, the factors influencing its acceptance, the factors preventing its use and the results of its usage have been comprehensively identified and categorized according to the analysis and interpretation of previous studies in this field as well as their combination. Finally, the identified model can be used for the exploitation of business owners and customers as well as academic and scientific circles.
Concept-driven management findingsBased on the study, focusing on the company in the category of influencing factors on SCRM adoption, three general concepts were identified. In the concept of human-management factors, researchers such as Afaq (2023) with the concept of listening to social networks, Woodcock et al. (2011) with the concept of communication with social customers, Al-Omoush et al. (2021) with the concept of organizational learning, Ibrahim et al. (2022) with the concept of the attractive appearance of the site company and Ang (2011) have mentioned this concept with the concept of cultivating new leaders. For the concept of technological/technology factors affecting the acceptance of SCRM, Woodcock et al. (2011) mentioned the concepts of site security and attention to data, and Perez-Vega (2022) referred to the concepts of creating floating networks, attention to big data, machine learning capabilities and use mentioned AI. For the concept of environmental/external factors affecting the adoption of SCRM, Maecker et al. (2016) refers to the positive tonnage of customer posts on SM, Al-Omoush et al. (2021) refers to external organizational pressures, Ang (2011) refers to the expansion of foreign networks and Hasani (2017) mentioned government support.
In the next category of factors preventing the adoption of SCRM from the point of view of companies, for the concept of managerial/human factors preventing the use of SCRM, Ang (2011) refers to the concept of being limited to inefficient conditions, and Alshurideh (2023) points out the lack of attention to those who do not use SM to communicate with the company. For the concept of technological/negative technology factors for the adoption of SCRM, Woodcock et al. (2010) mentions the increase in the number of social interaction records for each person and the unwillingness to be known, and Saura et al. (2021) mentions the complexity of using AI in implementation. Finally, for the concept of environmental/external factors that have an adverse effect on the adoption of SCRM, Woodcock et al. (2011) mentions negative advertisements in SM and Heller Baird (2011) mentions the labeling of dishonesty by people to companies in SM.
In the third category, the results of applying SCRM are stated, which includes two concepts. In the first concept, which was called creating personality and credibility for the brand, Afaq (2023) mentions the follow-up of customer interactions on various platforms. Lamrhari et al. (2022) indicates the creation of an efficient integrated social system, Li et al. (2023) mentions the creation of an emotional connection between customers and the brand, Saura et al. (2021) states the identification of new communication patterns using AI and Kassem et al. (2023) mentions strengthening the relationship with the customer. For the material and tangible concept, Sarkum et al. (2019) states sustainable competitive advantage, Dewnarain (2021) mentions customer attraction and brand loyalty and finally Saura et al. (2021) remarks on the creation of competitive advantage due to digital data.
Concept-driven customer findingsRegarding focusing on the customer, three general concepts were also identified in the category of factors affecting the adoption of SCRM. In concept of human-management factors to increase customer participation, Heller Baird (2011) considers the positive perception of the company's honesty and Medjani and Barnes (2021) believes that creating emotional values is one of the factors of SCRM acceptance. For the concept of technological/technology factors affecting the adoption of SCRM, Diffley (2018) mentions the development of customer communication capabilities and information sharing with customers. Finally, for the concept of environmental/external factors affecting the acceptance of SCRM, Ang (2011) indicates the feeling of being seen by the customer, Heller Baird (2011) states social pressure for acceptance, and Lamrhari et al. (2022) note the increasing popularity of SM in the new generation.
In the next category of factors preventing the adoption of SCRM from the customers' point of view, for the concept of management/human factors preventing the use of SCRM, Gamage et al. (2023) mention the disclosure of customer information. For the concept of technological/negative technology factors in the adoption of SCRM, Heller Baird (2011) points out that most of the interactions in SM are personal rather than commercial, and Păvăloaia et al. (2019) remark on bad online experiences of communication by AI. Finally, for the concept of environmental/external factors that have an adverse effect on the acceptance of SCRM by the customer, Perez-Vega et al. (2022) mention fake opinions and spam sent to customers.
In the last category, the results of the use of SCRM from the customers' point of view are stated, which includes two concepts. In the first concept, which is the intangible and spiritual results for customers, Alshurideh (2023) mentions the happiness and satisfaction of customers, Chan et al. (2018) states the happiness of customers, and Păvăloaia et al. (2019) indicate the good online experiences of creating communication by AI. For the material and tangible concept, Ang (2011) surveys the development of new products and Perez-Vega et al. (2022) comment on the decision to buy better and save time.
Based on the study and examination of the concepts in the research texts, 439 codes were finally identified. Finally, the study led to the identification of two general dimensions in the study, focusing on the company and the customer. The dimension of focusing on the company included three categories of factors affecting acceptance with the concepts of managerial/human factors, technological/technology factors and environmental/external factors. The category of inhibiting factors was identified with the concepts of managerial/human factors, technological/technology factors and environmental/external factors, and the category of application results included the two concepts of creating personality and credibility for the brand and tangible and material results. The focus on the customer included three categories of factors affecting acceptance with the concepts of managerial/human factors, technological/technology factors and environmental/external factors. The category of inhibiting factors was identified with the concepts of managerial/human factors, technological/technology factors and environmental/external factors, and the category of application results included two concepts of intangible and psychological results and tangible and material results. The final model obtained from the study can be seen in Fig. 8.
Conclusions, limitations, and future managerial suggestions
Al-Omoush et al. (2021) examined the attention to organizational and technological fields for the adoption of SCRM in organizations. Jalal et al. (2019) surveyed the attention to technological, organizational and environmental factors in the examination of SCRM in companies. Hasani et al. (2017) studied the technological, organizational, environmental, and managerial characteristics in organizations that use SCRM. Also, Kassem et al. (2022) considered SCRM as listening, analyzing, acting, and measuring, which focuses only on the factors affecting technology adoption.
Mohammed et al. (2024) highlighted the need for a more comprehensive approach to integration and successful use of technology, such as social media, in CRM strategies. This includes considering various factors such as internal resources, organizational capabilities, and formulating effective strategies. The study examined a comprehensive model for managing SCRM. Ledro et al. (2022) indicated that SCRM is evolving from a data-driven strategy to an artificial intelligence-based strategy. Previous studies have either examined artificial intelligence separately or paid less attention to it, but this study integrates artificial intelligence into a new digital ecosystem framework involving all other influential variables. In their study, Souki et al. (2023) noted that some aspects of consumer experiences create only positive emotions, while others evoke negative emotions. However, research has mainly focused on positive consumer emotions. The current study comprehensively examines both positive and negative consumer emotions from both the company's and the customer's perspectives. Malki et al. (2023) pointed out that most research has been conducted in advanced countries, while many developing countries are still in the stage of developing and expanding their basic systems and have not yet achieved widespread adoption of new technologies. This study aims to examine studies from developing countries as much as possible to obtain more reliable results.
The main objective of SCRM, as discussed by Ciunova-Shuleska et al. (2024), is continuous and online interaction between customers and companies. This facilitates a better understanding of customers' varying needs, leading to greater customer satisfaction and a more positive perception of the company. This point is also addressed in the current study. Mohammed et al. (2024) identified factors such as internal financial resources, management innovation, employee knowledge, management support, and government support as crucial for the successful adoption of SCRM, which are included in the model derived from the present study. Streimikien et al. (2021) highlighted that company misconduct leads to customer sanctions and negatively affects the brand's reputation, ultimately reducing the long-term income of the company, which is clearly evident in the model presented.
Drosos et al. (2021) considered customer satisfaction as a strategic component for a company's success and customer attention, which is also emphasized in the model presented in the current study. They indicated that proper change management leads to increased satisfaction of internal and external stakeholders of organizations, which is also emphasized in the model presented in the study. They underscore the importance of customer satisfaction to the extent that it is even considered to be more crucial than the quality of the product provided to the customer. The model presented in the study emphasizes both psychological satisfaction and satisfaction derived from material benefits from the customer's perspective. Alshawawreh et al. (2024) regarded attention to security and privacy as necessary and essential for gaining customer trust, a notion validated by the model presented. They also points out that a lack of insight into big data analytics challenges the company, and the identified model addresses potential technical and external challenges. Perez- Orozco (2024) stated that online marketing management, with a focus on meeting customer needs and expectations, attracts customer satisfaction and trust. The identified model incorporates this aspect.
Kassem et al. (2022) referred to four processes—listening, analyzing, acting, and measuring—in achieving success in SCRM, all of which are integrated into the model presented in the current study. Medjani and Barnes (2021) argued that SCRM is not merely a technological issue or a combination of social media with traditional CRM but rather a development that enables the integration of social media data with CRM processes, a notion reflected in the identified model. Zhang et al. (2024) pointed out the necessity for governments to support companies and people in developing new technological innovations, a role clearly visible in the identified model.
Overall, the current study categorizes opportunities and challenges, advantages and disadvantages of employing concepts presented in social customer relationship management from selected studies into an innovative model, which can be utilized by academic institutions, technological innovators, and economic and managerial practitioners. Due to the limitation of access to studies, it was examined with only 31 studies in the field of SCRM. Also, due to the limitation of access to complete studies, no study of the banking industry was used in the research, while the banking industry is very prone to use SCRM and also the customers of the banks have a great desire to use it services.
Less studies and attention have been paid to the dimension of focus on the company, it is suggested that more studies be carried out to understand and pay attention to the customer's view of SCRM in order to close the research gap in this field. It is also suggested that the identified model of the current research be used quantitatively to validate the identified model in different environments and due to the limited access to studies, it is suggested that future studies be carried out by collecting research from all industries and the existing sections in the society, which may more valid and more accurate results obtained.
According to Maslow's theory, the fact that customers pay more attention to psychological and intangible results can indicate the development of consumer needs, or the results obtained can be due to the fact that the investigated research is more focused on the prosperous strata of society. Proving this case requires independent and more extensive research. It is suggested that in future research this should be done among the more prosperous and the less privileged sections of society so that the reality of this matter could be determined in a more precise and specific way. It is suggested that future research be conducted separately in different environments and cultures, in developed and developing countries, and then the results compared to determine the differences and similarities in different environments.
CRediT authorship contribution statementReza Rostamzadeh: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation. Mohammad Bakhnoo: Visualization, Validation, Software, Resources, Formal analysis. Wadim Strielkowski: Visualization, Software, Resources, Funding acquisition. Dalia Streimikiene: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Investigation, Conceptualization.
CRediT authorship contribution statementReza Rostamzadeh: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation. Mohammad Bakhnoo: Visualization, Validation, Software, Resources, Formal analysis. Wadim Strielkowski: Visualization, Software, Resources, Funding acquisition. Dalia Streimikiene: Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Investigation, Conceptualization.