Date

4-17-2024

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)

Chair

Robert Mott

Keywords

Cooperative Extension, customer relationship management, technology acceptance model

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

This research investigates the technology acceptance model (TAM) in the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service (CES) regarding the adoption of customer relationship management (CRM) systems to improve communications, outreach, and engagement with the publics and communities it serves. The CES comprises land-grant universities throughout the United States and offices in nearly every county in the country. It provides research-based educational programming to help communities of all sizes meet the challenges they face. However, many CES organizations have yet to adopt CRM technologies, leading to potential missed opportunities in improving client engagement, outreach, and communications. A thorough review of the literature of the TAM and CRM adoption in organizations covers topics such as critical success factors, organizational performance, and the value of CRM in improving engagement, satisfaction, and retention. A qualitative phenomenological approach utilizing existing data and one-on-one semi-structured interviews with CES leaders and professionals is utilized. Findings highlight various perceived benefits, barriers, and reported success rates from CES professionals. The findings suggest a positive correlation between the TAM variable of perceived ease of use and the reported adoption success of CRM technologies within the CES, positive attitudes toward perceived usefulness of CRM technologies, and high rates of employee resistance around the adoption of CRM technologies.

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