Examining the role of customer relationship management in gaining competitive advantage in competitive markets: A case study of the Social Security Organization in East Azerbaijan Province

Abstract

Increasing competition in markets drives organizations to adopt innovative long-term competitive strategies for greater success. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a comprehensive business strategy that enables companies to effectively manage their interactions with customers. The aim of this research is to investigate the role of CRM in gaining a competitive advantage in competitive markets within the social security organization. The research methodology is applied and descriptive in nature, based on the objective and the method of data collection. The statistical population of this study includes 400 employees of the Social Security Organization in East Azerbaijan province. The sample size was determined to be 196 using Morgan's table and a simple random sampling method was employed. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data. Data analysis was performed using the inferential statistics section of SPSS version 23 software. The results indicate a positive and significant relationship between various dimensions of CRM, including a focus on key customers, knowledge management, technology, organizational structure, and the acquisition of competitive advantage.

Keywords

• customer relationship management
• competitive advantage
• key customers
• technology