Leveraging CRM Capabilities for Enhanced Relationship Maintenance and Performance: Empirical Insights from Latin America’s Business-to-Business Sector

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of Customer Relationship Management Capabilities (CRMC) and Marketing–Sales Collaboration (CMS) on relationship preservation and business success in Business-to-Business (B2B) enterprises, integrating the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Systems Theory. Using data from 649 B2B companies across nine Latin American countries, the study employs a multi-method empirical approach combining Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM), Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA), and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings reveal that the synergistic interplay between CRMC and CMS is central to enhancing interdepartmental collaboration and sustaining relationship maintenance, which drive superior customer relationship, sales, and financial performance. The results underscore that business success is achieved through the positive integration of technological, human, and organizational resources, particularly the combination of CRMC and CMS, regardless of contextual or cultural differences. This research advances the RBV by integrating Systems Theory, providing empirical insights into how the orchestration of these resources creates value in emerging market contexts.