CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and trust: Global trends in scientific production

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61347/psa.v3i3.120

Keywords:

Bibliometric analysis, Customer Relationship Management, machine learning, social CRM, trust

Abstract

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a strategic pillar of contemporary business management, enabling the building of long-term relationships based on trust between organizations and their clients. Over the past decade, digitalization, big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and omnichannel strategies have transformed the scope and complexity of CRM, making trust a critical factor for relational sustainability. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature indexed in Scopus (2000–2024) on the relationship between CRM and trust, based on a corpus of 43 peer-reviewed articles, complemented by recent research published in high-impact journals. The tools Bibliometrix (R) and VOSviewer were used to map production indicators (temporal evolution, countries, and institutions), impact (most cited articles and authors, journals, and SJR quartiles), and intellectual structure (co-citation and co-occurrence). The results reveal a steady growth in academic production since the mid-2010s, with a clear predominance of driving themes related to data analytics, social CRM, applied AI, and omnichannel strategies, which serve as vectors of innovation in the field. Trust emerges as a central axis linking personalization, automation, and behavioral outcomes (loyalty, satisfaction, and retention), while also raising new challenges concerning data privacy, algorithmic explainability, and digital governance.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Ascarza, E. (2018). Retention futility: Targeting high-risk customers might be ineffective. Journal of Marketing Research, 55(1), 80–98. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.16.0163

Beck, N., & Rygl, D. (2015). Categorization of multiple channel retailing in Multi-, Cross-, and Omni‐Channel Retailing for retailers and retailing. Journal of retailing and consumer services, 27, 170-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.08.001

Buttle, F., & Maklan, S. (2019). Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351016551

Choudhury, M. M., & Harrigan, P. (2014). CRM to social CRM: The integration of new technologies into customer relationship management. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 22(2), 149–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2013.876069

Davenport, T. H., & Ronanki, R. (2018). Artificial intelligence for the real world. Harvard Business Review, 96(1), 108–116. https://hbr.org/2018/01/artificial-intelligence-for-the-real-world

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Gefen, D. (2000). E-commerce: The role of familiarity and trust. Omega, 28(6), 725–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-0483(00)00021-9

Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M., & Daly, T. (2017). Customer engagement with tourism social media brands. Tourism Management, 59, 597–609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.09.015

Huang, M. H., & Rust, R. T. (2021). Engaged to a robot? The role of AI in service. Journal of Service Research, 24(1), 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520902266

Kumar, V., & Reinartz, W. (2016). Creating enduring customer value. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 36–68. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0414

Malthouse, E. C., Haenlein, M., Skiera, B., Wege, E., & Zhang, M. (2013). Managing customer relationships in the social media era: Introducing the social CRM house. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27(4), 270–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.09.008

Malhotra, N. K., Kim, S. S., & Agarwal, J. (2004). Internet users’ information privacy concerns (IUIPC): The construct, the scale, and a causal model. Information Systems Research, 15(4), 336–355. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1040.0032

Martin, K. D., & Murphy, P. E. (2017). The role of data privacy in marketing. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45 (2) 135–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0495-4

Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302

Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of marketing, 80(6), 69-96. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420

Palmatier, R. W., Dant, R. P., Grewal, D., & Evans, K. R. (2006). Factors influencing the effectiveness of relationship marketing: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing, 70(4), 136–153. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.70.4.136

Parvatiyar, A., & Sheth, J. N. (2001). Customer relationship management: Emerging practice, process, and discipline. Journal of Economic and Social Research, 3(2), 1–34. https://n9.cl/imggau

Payne, A., & Frow, P. (2005). A strategic framework for Customer Relationship Management. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.2005.69.4.167

Sirdeshmukh, D., Singh, J., & Sabol, B. (2002). Consumer trust, value, and loyalty in relational exchanges. Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 15–37. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.66.1.15.18449

Trainor, K. J., Andzulis, J., Rapp, A., & Agnihotri, R. (2014). Social media technology usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM. Journal of Business Research, 67(6), 1201–1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.05.002

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Verhoef, P. C., Kannan, P. K., & Inman, J. J. (2015). From multi-channel retailing to omni-channel retailing: Introduction to the Special Issue on Multi-Channel Retailing. Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2015.02.005

Wedel, M., & Kannan, P. K. (2016). Marketing analytics for data-rich environments. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 97–121. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0413

Wamba, S. F., Gunasekaran, A., Akter, S., Ren, S., Dubey, R., & Childe, S. J. (2017). Big data analytics and firm performance: Effects of dynamic capabilities. International Journal of Production Economics, 193, 566–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.08.009

Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric methods in management and organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629

Published

2025-11-17

How to Cite

Herrera Lovera, P. (2025). CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and trust: Global trends in scientific production. Perspectivas Sociales Y Administrativas, 3(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.61347/psa.v3i3.120