Social Customer Relationship Management as Predictor of Customer Relationship Performance: An Empirical Study of B2B and B2C Companies

Using an empirical survey conducted among B2B and B2C companies in India, the paper examines the linkage between social media use, customer relationship management (CRM), social customer relationship management (SCRM) and the customer relationship performance (CRP). A framework was constructed using literature review and validated by the regression analysis. The findings show that the social media use and CRM capabilities interact positively to build SCRM capabilities which then have positive impacts on CRP. The linkages differ slightly for business to business (B2B) and business to consumers (B2C) companies. The paper also shares the challenges faced by the businesses in implementing the SCRM.