Electronic Customer Relationship Management Adoption Framework in Higher Education Institutions: “A Case Study of Universities in Mogadishu – Somalia”

The increasing demand for personalized student services and efficient data management has led Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide to adopt Electronic Customer Relationship Management (E-CRM) systems. In Somalia, where digital transformation in education is still emerging, understanding the factors influencing the adoption of E-CRM is crucial for enhancing institutional efficiency, competitiveness, and stakeholder engagement. This study aims to examine the technological, organizational, and environmental factors that significantly influence the adoption of E-CRM systems in Somali HEIs using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework. A quantitative research approach was employed. A purposive sampling technique was used to ensure that only respondents with relevant experience or involvement with E-CRM systems were included in the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted with 45 participants to test the reliability of the instrument. A total of 230 valid responses were collected for the final analysis. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test twelve hypotheses derived from the TOE framework, focusing on factors such as service quality, cost saving, scalability, task complexity, and top management support. The findings reveal that technological factors—including service quality, relative advantage, cost saving, perceived security, scalability, task complexity, and time saving—positively and significantly impact E-CRM adoption. Organizational factors such as institutional size, top management support, and training availability also emerged as critical drivers. Moreover, environmental influences like competitive pressure and provider competence were found to significantly predict adoption decisions. Among these, top management support and competitive pressure showed the strongest effects. This research contributes to the limited body of literature on digital system adoption in post-conflict educational contexts and extends the application of the TOE framework to Somali HEIs. The study offers practical implications for institutional leaders, ICT decision-makers, and policymakers aiming to promote technology-enabled education. It also highlights the importance of aligning institutional capacity, leadership support, and external ecosystem readiness to ensure successful digital transformation in higher education.