Online community portals for enhanced Customer Relationship Management

Establishing and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and its stakeholders is a top priority for any institution that wants to prosper in a fast-changing and highly competitive market. Alumni, as a key stakeholder group of universities, is a prime example. But do they actually want contact with their Alma Mater? If so, what exactly do they want, and in what format do they want it? The “one-size- fits-all” notion with regard to communication and information sharing with stakeholders is placed under the spotlight to explore more customised options. One such option is to establish an online community portal whereby a customised approach is taken in terms of information content, communication, context and commerce in accordance with the mission and vision of the organisation. A University of Johannesburg case study was conducted due to the complex, post-merger nature of its alumni target audience, but the research findings could be applied by any organisation who wishes to engage more pro-actively with its stakeholder groups. The successful Gradnet online portal was born from this action research project.