What is Reactance

Customer Relationship Management is conducive to providing customer information and the correct way to deal with customers. After the advent of the world-wide-web (www), which brought an increase in customer data and intensified CRM discussions in its wake, we are now entering the age of computerized mobile communication with diverse possibilities to enlist the services of mobile people. This chapter outlines the new and latest technological developments and the resultant capabilities of mobile CRM. Looking to a future in which mobile marketing efforts may become increasingly important, the erosion of personal freedom and the threat to this freedom becomes all the more significant. The findings from reactance research do not only specify the reactance conditions but also the reactance consequences. Previous research has sometimes pointed to self-determination as an acceptance factor yet failed to analyze the reactance risk more closely. This chapter will attempt to close this gap. In this respect, the initial findings of an empirical study will be presented, revealing that the acceptance of mobile services is surprisingly low and the reactance risk for mobile services is not to be underestimated, and that reactance involves the corresponding behavior on the part of the user. The plea is to consider the acceptance risk in the mobile CRM of the future and select a customer-friendly permission policy.