STUDYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AT IRAN MELLI BANK OF METROPOLITAN TABRIZ: SPRING 2013

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1 Indian J.Sci.Res.3 (1): , 2014 ISSN: (Print) ISSN: (Online) STUDYING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING AT IRAN MELLI BANK OF METROPOLITAN TABRIZ: SPRING 2013 AHAD HASSAN KHANI a1, HOSSEIN BODAGHI KHAJEH NOUBAR b AND SAMAD AALI c ab Department of Management, College of Business Administration, East Azarbaijan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran c Department of Management, Tabriz branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran ABSTRACT This research model is based on Shwu-Lng and Chien -Lung (2012) and Dubisi (2007) and examines the relationship between customer relationship management and relationship marketing of Iran Melli Bank of MetropolitanTabriz. The statistical population of this study is customers who referred to Iran Melli Bank branches in the Metropolitan Tabriz. For this aim, 30% of Iran Melli Bank branches in Tabriz were selected as cluster and clients available in branches were selected as statistical sample. 500 questionnaires were distributed among the clients of them 390 accepted questionnaires were analyzed. The research hypotheses were analyzed by Quantitative Research Method Using structural Equation Modeling (LISREL software). The results of the analysis indicate that there is a significant relationship between customer relationship management and relationship marketing in banks. KEYWORDS: Bank branches, customer relationship The relationship marketing has become a new marketing paradigm in recent year. It is one of the important marketing strategies in building a stable and long term relationships with customers. Due to the changes of marketing environment, the progress of database and related data analysis technology, the traditional concept of mass marketing has gradually transferred to the concept of segment marketing. Also, they are important factors that facilitate the development of relationship marketing. Relationship Marketing refers to marketing activities that attract, develop, maintain, and enhance customer relationships (Berry and Parasuraman, 1991; Grönroos,1994). It has changed the focus of marketing orientation from attracting short-term, discrete transactional customers to retaining long-lasting, intimate customer relationships. The objectives of relationship marketing include the delivery of sustained or increasing levels of satisfaction, and the retention of those customers by the maintenance and promotion of the relationship (Ravald and Grönroos, 1996). In relationship marketing, the managerial focus is on individual customer profitability and the benefits that can be derived from relationships with clients (Covielloet al., 1997;Webster, 1992). In this situation, the emphasis is primarily on interactive marketing activities and on managing these interactive marketing dimensions (i.e.) with the aim of establishing, developing and maintaining co-operative customer relationships for mutual benefits (Grönroos, 1994). In relationship marketing, managing the marketing-mix dimensions of product, price, promotion and place is less important than managing interactive marketing dimensions such as people, processes and physical evidence (Walshet al, 2004). In other words in relationship marketing it will not only focus on traditional four Ps of product, price, promotion and place in marketing but also show much more concern about additional three Ps in services marketing.(in addition to four Ps people, processes and physical evidence) Relationship marketing can be better understood by comparing its counterparts known as transactional marketing. A variety of authors have attempted to differentiate transaction marketing (sometimes referred to as traditional marketing) from relationship marketing. For example, Christopheret al. (1991) explained that transactional marketing is focused on a single sale in the short term. Transaction marketing is said to be oriented towards product features with low emphasis in service, and involves moderate customer contact and limited customer commitment, when compared with relationship marketing which emphasizes product benefits with high service, customer contact, and customer commitment. Grönroos (1991) argues that transaction and relationship marketing differ in their time perspective, price elasticity, 1 Corresponding author

2 the dominating marketing function and quality dimension, measurement of customer satisfaction, the customer information system, functional interdependence, and the role of internal marketing. Grönroos(1991)further stated that the choice of approach used (either transactional or relational) may depend not only on the offer, but also on the type of customer served and the stage of business lifecycle. Relationship marketing strategies should enhance customers' perceived benefits such as perceived relationship improvement and perceived economic benefits of engaging in relationships (O'Malley and Tynan, 2000). Customer relation management (CRM) is a model for managing a company s interactions with current and future customers. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support. points out that CRM is a series of extensive processes and information technology adopted to manage potential and existing customers and enhance an enterprise s relationship with its partners. CRM is also an information system that helps enterprises understand customer needs and behaviors and is associated with operation processes and technology (Christopher, 2003)Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is premised on the belief that developing a relationship with customers is the best way to get them to become loyal and that loyal customers are more profitable than non-loyal customers. Frederick Reichheld has argued that a company can achieve significant increases in profits from only small improvements in customer retention rates. The strategy is to engineer increased customer retention, often with strategies labeled as CRM or Customer Loyalty Marketing. Research indicates that these schemes are generally liked by customers. According to Liam Alvey, relationship marketing can be applied when there are competitive product alternatives for customers to choose from; and when there is an ongoing and periodic desire for the product or service. Martin Christopher, Adrian Payne, and David Ballantyne at the Cran field School of Management claim that relationship marketing has the potential to forge a new synthesis between quality management, customer service management, and marketing. In recent years, the academic marketing community has begun to question some of the key premises that are used to support CRM in general, and relationship marketing and customer loyalty programs in particular. These academics base their skepticism on two sources of information. One is a 30- year research tradition that focuses on the empirical patterns of purchasing for a wide variety of consumer products and services. The second is some emerging research that tests the key assumptions that underpin CRM and the effectiveness of the CRM tactic of customer loyalty programs. Kalakota and Robinson (1999) view CRM as an organization s integrated action to develop sales, marketing, and service strategies. An enterprise needs to identify actual customer needs by integrating its processes and technology, and it needs to improve service connections to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty (Bruhn, 2003; Buttle, 2004; Egan, 2008). CRM is the core business strategy that integrates internal processes and functions and external networks to create and deliver value to targeted customers and, finally, increase profits (Buttle, 2004). The final goal of conducting CRM is to enhance business performance, and therefore, businesses need an objective performance scale to enable a detailed evaluation (Kaplan and Norton, 1990).A profitmaximizing of RM was identified as the desired output of the CRM (Zablah et al., 2004). Zablah et al. (2004) and Evans and Laskin (1994) proposed that RM generates four types of business performance: providing the highest service quality to customers to satisfy their needs, assuring that employees can satisfy customer needs to generate higher customer satisfaction, and increasing customer loyalty and sales profits. According to Ing Wu and Lung Lu (2012) research, the results showed that implementing the Internet service and customer sup- port functions of CRM strategies by the hotels have a positive and significant influence on RM effects; however, B&Bs should implement the marketing support function of CRM strategies, which will significantly increase the RM effect for them. These results verify the mutually assisted concept of CRM influence on RM as proposed by Stone et al. (1996), Meryl (1999), and Swift (2001). The comparison results show different effects for hotels and B&Bs when performing different CRM functions; this is an important finding. Thus, different hotel types must select different CRM actions to meet their target customers. METHODOLOGY This research is descriptive and cross-sectional research in data collection method that has been carried out in Because it wants to investigate the relationships between variables in this year, it is field study. Also this study is a correlation research from the relationship between variables point of view.

3 The statistical population of this research is clients who referred to the branches of Metropolis Tabriz Iran Melli Bank. Sampling method in this study is cluster sampling. In this method 30% of the statistical population was selected from Iran Melli Bank branches in metropolitan Tabriz and survey questionnaire was distributed among available customers (customers who have a savings account or current or deposit at the bank or had received facilitate from bank) who were ready to cooperate. The sample size was calculated using Cochran formula and n = 386 was obtained. To achieve the objectives of this study the library method has been used to gather information on the theoretical basis, formulating the research literature and identifying the components. And according to the scales used in research, data needed to test the hypotheses were collected through questionnaires. Respondents were asked questions based on a five-degree Likert scale that is ranged from strongly disagree to strongly agree. The questionnaire used to assess customer relationship management is a questionnaire that prepared by is Shwu-Lng and Chien -Lung (2012) Preparation and is used in a study with title of "The relationship between customer relationship management with and relationship marketing of Hospitality Industry in Thailand. The Dubisi questionnaire (2007) was used to collect information on relationship marketing. The comments of a number of academics staff were used to evaluate the validity and reliability of the questions. The comments of some professors were used to assess the easily understandable structure of questions and statements and modifications were applied. Cronbach's alpha Coefficient was used as a measure of internal consistency to test questionnaire reliability. The alpha coefficient for all questions was 0.92 that is a good reliability for measurement tools. LISREL software is used to test the hypothesis and the goodness of model fitness. RESULTS Path Analysis Model was used to test the hypotheses. A path model is for logical development of the multiple regression models. Although the path analysis includes models with multiple viewed variables. But it is possible to exist any number of dependent and independent variables and any number of equations. The significance of a coefficients and model parameters were tested at the curve output. For the significance of a coefficient, significant numbers should be greater than 1.96 or smaller than The results of path analysis model and path coefficient significance of main hypothesis and sub-hypotheses are given in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. Figure 1: A path analysis model based on the original hypothesis (standardized coefficients) Figure 2: A path analysis model based on the original hypothesis (significant digits)

4 Figure 3: A path analysis model based on sub- hypotheses (standardized coefficients) Figure 4: A path analysis model based on sub- hypotheses (a significant numbers) Tables are presented to show the relations the coefficients of the model parameters. Table 1: Calculation of direct and indirect effects and total effects of variables CRM Variables RM Trust total effect 0/88 0/33 indirect effects direct effects 0/88 0/33 Internet Services Commitment Communication -0/11 0/36-0/11 0/36 Conflict Management Trust 0/21 0/21 customer Support Service Commitment Communication 0/30 0/30 Conflict Management Trust Commitment 0/44 0/34 0/44 0/34 Marketing Support Service Communication Conflict Management 0/23 0/23

5 Based on the above table (1), customer support service has the highest total effect off (0.44) on conflict management variable and customer relationship management has a total effect of (0.88) on Relationship marketing variables. Based on the above table (1), customer support service has the highest total effect off (0.44) on conflict management variable and customer relationship management has a total effect of (0.88) on Relationship marketing variables. Table 2: Results of standardized coefficients and significant numbers (approve or reject of the sub- hypothesis) Hypothesis Results Sig SC There is relation between CRM and RM in banking industry. 35/45 0/88 There is relation between Internet Services and trust in banking industry. 7/02 0/31 There is relation between Internet Services and commitment in banking industry. Denied -1/78-0/11 There is relation between Internet Services and communication in banking industry. 7/52 0/36 There is relation between Internet Services and conflict management in banking industry. 4/98 There is relation between customer Support Service and trust in banking industry. 4/31 0/21 There is relation between customer Support Service and commitment in banking industry. 6/13 There is relation between customer Support Service and communication in banking industry. 5/77 0/30 There is relation between customer Support Service and conflict management in banking industry. 9/06 0/44 There is relation between marketing Support Service and trust in banking industry. 8/69 There is relation between marketing Support Service and commitment in banking industry. 5/56 0/34 There is relation between marketing Support Service and communication in banking industry. 4/60 There is relation between marketing Support Service and conflict management in banking industry. 4/89 0/23 As can be seen in Table 2, the standard coefficients for the main hypothesis of this study have significant numbers (greater than 1.96) and therefore the main hypothesis of this study is confirmed. Standard coefficients for the research 11 sub-hypotheses have the significant numbers (more of 1.96) and therefore the 11 sub-hypotheses of 12 sub-hypotheses are confirmed in this study. CONCLUSIONS In this study, customer relationship management has the effect of 0.88 on relationship marketing which means there is a strong relationship. Iran Melli Bank has always tried to adapt itself with technological advancements that happen. It is clear from the figures that electronic devices and equipment for the financial operations of Iran Melli Bank are more than other banks. Iran Melli Bank has always tried to identify the needs and demands of clients then becomes as a leading provider of financial services in the country. Iran Melli Bank as one of the oldest banks in the country has managed to attract the public's trust. What is also evident in this study is the standard coefficient of 0.99 of "this bank is trusted" represents the degree of people trust in using the financial services of bank. According to documents obtained from the analysis of this study hypothesis, it is observed that apart from the one of the theories, all hypotheses are confirmed. Hypothesis of there is a significant relationship between internet services and commitment, is the only hypothesis of this study that has not been confirmed. This could be due to the fact that because Web services include a set of defined standardized activities that are done without the physical presence of the customer in the bank, customers feel that banks have no obligation to these activities. And another reason could also be relevant with a view to answering customers'

6 questions that among all of the questions, the question of "the bank act its promises at the time designated to" has a standard coefficient of 0.39 and the responses mean is 3.09, and the question of "If the bank do exactly the promises" has standard coefficient of 0.50 and the responses mean is 3.37 that among all of the questions has the lowest standard coefficient and the responses mean. This indicates that Iran Melli Bank should carry out their promises at a specified time and in precise form, resolve demands of clients in this sector. As you know, a lot of unhappy customers transfer their dissatisfaction to others that are type of negative word of mouth advertising. This can lead to lack of confidence in the future to the bank. Trust is one of the factors that have created a competitive advantage in the Iran Melli Bank over the years. Iran Melli Bank can attract customers satisfaction at the time by implementing its promises and use this threat as an opportunity and attract more customers. REFERENCES Berry, Leonard.,1983. Relationship Marketing. American Marketing Association, Chicago. p. 146.ISBN Bruhn, M., Relationship Marketing: Management of Customer Relationships. Prentice-Hall, London. Buttle, F., 2004.Customer Relationship Management Concepts and Tools.Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Christopher, B., Strategic issues in customer relationship management (CRM) implementation. Business Process Management Journal 9 (5), Christopher, M., Payne, A., Ballantyne, D., 1991.Relationship Marketing: BringingQuality, Customer Service and Marketing Together, Butterworth-Heinemann,Oxford. p. 264.ISBN Coviello, N., Brodie, R.J., Munro, H Understanding contemporary marketing:development of a classification scheme", Journal of Marketing Management,13,6, Egan, J.,2008. Relationship Marketing Exploring Relational Strategies in Marketing, 3rd ed. Pearson Education Ltd., Harlow. Evans, J.R., Laskin, R.L.,1994. The relationship marketing process: a conceptualiza- tion and application. Industrial Marketing Management 23 (12), Grönroos, C The marketing strategy continuum:a marketing concept for the1990's,", Management Decision, 29, 1, 7-13 Grönroos, C From marketing mix to relationship marketing: towards aparadigm shift in marketing", Management Decision, 32, 2, 4-20 Grönroos, C The relationship marketing process: communication, interaction,dialogue, value", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 19, 2, Gummesson, E Broadening and specifying relationship marketing", Asia- Australia Marketing Journal, 2, Ing Wu, Shwu, Chien and Lung Lu The relationship between CRM, RM, and business performance: A study of the hotel industry in Taiwan, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31 (2012) Kalakota, R., Robinson, M., E-Business: Roadmap for Success. Addison-Wesley, NJ, USA. Kaplan, R.S., Norton, D.P., Researching management accounting practice: the roles of case study methods. British Accounting Review 22 (3), L.L, Parasuraman, A (1991), Marketing Services Competing through Quality,Free Press, New York, NY, O'Malley, L., Tynan, C "Relationship marketing in consumer markets.rhetoricor reality?", European Journal of Marketing, 34,.7, Ravald, A., Grönroos, C "The value concept and relationship marketing", European Journal of Marketing, 30, 2, 19-30

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