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Customer experience in digital transformation: the influence of intelligent chatbots toward a sustainable market

Sofia Gomes (Department of Economy and Management, REMIT – Research on Economics, Management and Information Technologies, Portucalense University, Porto, Portugal)
João M. Lopes (Department of Economy and Management, Instituto Superior Miguel Torga, Coimbra, Portugal and NECE-UBI – Research Unit in Business Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal)
Tiago Trancoso (Department of Economics and Finance and proMetheus – Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal)

International Journal of Innovation Science

ISSN: 1757-2223

Article publication date: 10 January 2025

117

Abstract

Purpose

Using artificial intelligence technologies in customer service through chatbots is revolutionizing companies’ commercial practices and business models. This study explores the role of customer experience drivers in using chatbot services in customer engagement and customer behavior intention. The mediating role of customer engagement in the relationship between the customer experience drivers of using chatbots and the customer behavior intention was also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, a sample of 1,319 Portuguese consumers using chatbots in their online purchases was collected. A quantitative methodology was applied with the partial least squares method.

Findings

The results reveal that the customer experience drivers of using the chatbot service directly and positively influence customer engagement but not customer behavior intention. However, there is a positive influence of customer experience drivers on customer behavior intention when mediated by customer engagement.

Originality/value

This study contributes to developing social exchange and resource exchange theories in customer experience. In addition, it allows companies to infer practical implications for obtaining sustainable competitive advantages through implementing chatbot technology.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

NECE-UBI, Research Centre for Business Sciences, Research Centre and this work are funded by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, IP, project UIDB/04630/2020.

Institutional review board statement: Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due to Portuguese law and guidelines from the Foundation for Science and Technology.

Citation

Gomes, S., Lopes, J.M. and Trancoso, T. (2025), "Customer experience in digital transformation: the influence of intelligent chatbots toward a sustainable market", International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-06-2024-0148

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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