Background and Objectives: The rapid transformation of digital technologies, particularly the diffusion of mobile tools, has fundamentally reshaped the ways in which organizations interact with customers. In this context, Mobile-Based Customer Relationship Management (M-CRM) has emerged as a contemporary approach that enables organizations to establish faster, more interactive, and real-time communications with customers and may therefore enhance the quality of organizational customer relationships. Nevertheless, empirical evidence indicates that the adoption of emerging customer relationship technologies does not necessarily translate into improved customer relationship performance. In many cases, organizations invest in CRM and M-CRM systems without achieving the expected outcomes. One major reason for this gap is the neglect of internal organizational and process-related mechanisms through which technology is translated into actual relational performance. Accordingly, this study investigates the effect of Mobile-Based Customer Relationship Management on customer relationship performance, with particular emphasis on the sequential mediating roles of sales collaboration and sales process capabilities, in order to clarify the pathways through which this technology can improve relational outcomes.
Materials and Methods: In terms of purpose, this study is applied, and in terms of method, it is descriptive-survey. The research adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional design. The statistical population consisted of managers, supervisors, and sales and marketing experts at Golrang Industrial Group who were directly involved in sales activities, customer interactions, and the use of CRM and M-CRM systems. A non-probability purposive sampling method was employed based on specific eligibility criteria, and 160 valid questionnaires were ultimately collected and analyzed. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire comprising 19 items measured on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument assessed four main constructs: Mobile-Based Customer Relationship Management, sales collaboration, sales process capabilities, and customer relationship performance. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. The reliability and validity of the measurement model were examined and confirmed using factor loadings, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), the Fornell-Larcker criterion, and the HTMT ratio.
Results: The findings showed that Mobile-Based Customer Relationship Management does not exert a significant direct effect on customer relationship performance. However, it influences relational performance through an indirect and sequential mechanism. More specifically, M-CRM first strengthens sales collaboration, which in turn provides the necessary basis for enhancing sales process capabilities. These capabilities subsequently lead to improved customer relationship performance. The findings therefore support a full sequential mediation pattern, indicating that the effect of mobile-oriented customer relationship technologies on relational outcomes is realized not directly, but through human interactions, interdepartmental coordination, and the organization’s process and execution capabilities. This result suggests that the value-creation potential of M-CRM depends on its alignment with appropriate organizational and operational mechanisms.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that the mere adoption of mobile-based customer relationship technologies is not sufficient to improve customer relationship performance. Rather, M-CRM becomes effective when it is embedded in a context characterized by strong sales collaboration and robust sales process capabilities. From this perspective, organizations should move beyond a purely technological view of M-CRM and simultaneously focus on strengthening internal coordination, improving alignment between sales and marketing units, and enhancing the executional capabilities of sales processes. In addition to enriching the literature on customer relationship management and sales management, this study contributes by identifying the black box linking technology and performance through the explanation of the sequential mediating roles of collaboration and process capabilities. Theoretically, the study extends the M-CRM literature through a capability-based perspective; practically, it offers a clear roadmap for managers seeking to operationalize returns on digital investments.