Evaluation of Approaches to e-CRM by SMEs in Tourism Sector and Studying Differences According to SME Characteristics

Abstract

Even though the SMEs make up nearly % 98 of the businesses in our country, they cannot lean toward marketing activities due to some reasons such as liquidity problems that they encounter, resource shortage, and lack of training. However, internet use of the SMEs for marketing activities can provide a more economical and useful elbow room. Therefore, in the study, determining the viewpoint of SMEs to e-CRM activities and studying the differences in accordance with their characteristics have been intended. For this purpose, a questionnaire form by using a scale of critical factors that was developed by Harrigan, Ramsey and Ibbotson (2011) and consists of 35 statements. Target population of the study has been composed of the SMEs working in tourism sector in TRA 1 Level 2 Development Zone (the provinces Erzurum, Erzincan and Bayburt) 106 businesses have been identified and gone full inventory in the scope of the study. In data analysis, exploratory factor analysis, Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U techniques have been used. As a result of factor analysis, the scale has been composed of eight factors and 34 articles; it has been found that the approaches of the SMEs to e-CRM show significant differences according to the characteristics of the SMEs.