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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 September 2021

Juha Törmänen, Raimo P. Hämäläinen and Esa Saarinen

This study aims to introduce the perceived systems intelligence (SI) inventory, developed based on the earlier published self-report SI inventory (Törmänen et al., 2016). It can…

1246

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to introduce the perceived systems intelligence (SI) inventory, developed based on the earlier published self-report SI inventory (Törmänen et al., 2016). It can be used together with earlier managerial level tools for building a learning organization and included in general 360-style evaluations in personnel development.

Design/methodology/approach

The inventory is validated with confirmatory factor analysis with a model based on the self-report SI inventory, using data from full-time used employees and managers in the USA and UK. Perceived SI factor scores are correlated with the perceived study performance of the individual.

Findings

The perceived SI inventory is found to have good factorial validity, and it correlates strongly with evaluations of perceived study performance. Managers perceived high in performance are also found to score high in perceived SI. Perceived SI does not depend on gender, age, organization size or industry.

Originality/value

The perceived SI inventory is the first personnel level peer evaluation tool suggested for developing learning organizations. The new inventory makes peer evaluations possible and provides a new grassroots level tool for personnel development programs in learning organizations.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 May 2022

Kujtim Hameli and Güven Ordun

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and organizational commitment, focusing on the mediating role of self-efficacy in the…

8310

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and organizational commitment, focusing on the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used an online survey to collect data for this purpose. The sample consisted of 145 employees of different organizations in Kosovo. To test the hypothetical model, a mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Model Type 4.

Findings

The results show that emotional intelligence is positively related to self-efficacy and that self-efficacy is positively related to organizational commitment. Furthermore, the results of the mediation analysis confirm that the relationship between emotional intelligence and organizational commitment is mediated by self-efficacy.

Research limitations/implications

For future research, the authors recommend using the sub-dimensions of the above variables to test this model, and multiple models could be formulated. At the same time, the survey can be applied to managers to examine their emotional intelligence and to determine whether emotional intelligence influences their organizational commitment through self-efficacy. Consistent with the findings of this study, managers and executives in organizations should consider the emotional intelligence of their employees and that the employees with higher emotional intelligence have higher self-efficacy and can perform better.

Originality/value

This study extends the current literature in organizational behavior and provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and organizational commitment. This study was also conducted in a developing country context, which can always lead to different results than studies conducted in developed countries.

Details

European Journal of Management Studies, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2183-4172

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 August 2021

Gaby Odekerken-Schröder, Kars Mennens, Mark Steins and Dominik Mahr

Recent service studies suggest focusing on the service triad consisting of technology-customer-frontline employee (FLE). This study empirically investigates the role of service…

10326

Abstract

Purpose

Recent service studies suggest focusing on the service triad consisting of technology-customer-frontline employee (FLE). This study empirically investigates the role of service robots in this service triad, with the aim to understand the augmentation or substitution role of service robots in driving utilitarian and hedonic value and ultimately customer repatronage.

Design/methodology/approach

In study 1, field data are collected from customers (n = 108) who interacted with a service robot and FLE in a fast casual dining restaurant. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test hypotheses about the impact of service robots' anthropomorphism, social presence, value perceptions and augmentation opportunities in the service triad. In study 2, empirical data from a scenario-based experimental design (n = 361) complement the field study by further scrutinizing the interplay between the service robot and FLEs within the service triad.

Findings

The study provides three important contributions. First, the authors provide empirical evidence for the interplay between different actors in the “customer-FLE-technology” service triad resulting in customer repatronage. Second, the empirical findings advance the service management literature by unraveling the relationship between anthropomorphism and social presence and their effect on perceived value in the service triad. And third, the study identifies utilitarian value of service robots as a driver of customer repatronage in fast casual dining restaurants.

Practical implications

The results help service managers, service robot engineers and designers, and policy makers to better understand the implications of anthropomorphism, and how the utilitarian value of service robots can offer the potential for augmentation or substitution roles in the service triad.

Originality/value

Building on existing conceptual and laboratory studies on service robots, this is one of the first field studies on the service triad consisting of service robots – customers – frontline employees. The empirical study on service triads provides evidence for the potential of FLEs to augment service robots that exhibit lower levels of functional performance to achieve customer repatronage. FLEs can do this by demonstrating a high willingness to help and having excellent interactions with customers. This finding advocates the joint service delivery by FLE – service robot teams in situations where service robot technology is not fully optimized.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 June 2019

Martina Čaić, Dominik Mahr and Gaby Oderkerken-Schröder

The technological revolution in the service sector is radically changing the ways in which and with whom consumers co-create value. This conceptual paper considers social robots…

15663

Abstract

Purpose

The technological revolution in the service sector is radically changing the ways in which and with whom consumers co-create value. This conceptual paper considers social robots in elderly care services and outlines ways in which their human-like affect and cognition influence users’ social perceptions and anticipations of robots’ value co-creation or co-destruction potential. A future research agenda offers relevant, conceptually robust directions for stimulating the advancement of knowledge and understanding in this nascent field.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from service, robotics and social cognition research, this paper develops a conceptual understanding of the value co-creation/destruction potential of social robots in services.

Findings

Three theoretical propositions construct an iterative framework of users’ evaluations of social robots in services. First, social robots offer users value propositions leveraging affective and cognitive resources. Second, users’ personal values become salient through interactions with social robots’ affective and cognitive resources. Third, users evaluate social robots’ value co-creation/destruction potential according to social cognition dimensions.

Originality/value

Social robots in services are an emerging topic in service research and hold promising implications for organizations and users. This relevant, conceptually robust framework advances scholarly understanding of their opportunities and pitfalls for realizing value. This study also identifies guidelines for service managers for designing and introducing social robots into complex service environments.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 May 2022

Rosanna Leung

This study investigates human behavior, specifically attitude and anxiety, toward humanoid service robots in a hotel business environment.

1584

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates human behavior, specifically attitude and anxiety, toward humanoid service robots in a hotel business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The researcher adopted direct observations and interviews to complete the study. Visitors of Henn-na Hotel were observed and their spatial distance from the robots, along with verbal and non-verbal behavior, was recorded. The researcher then invited the observed hotel guests to participate in a short interview.

Findings

Most visitors showed a positive attitude towards the robot. More than half of the visitors offered compliments when they first saw the robot receptionists although they hesitated and maintained a distance from them. Hotel guests were also disappointed with the low human–robot interaction (HRI). As the role of robots in hotels currently remains at the presentation level, a comprehensive assessment of their interactive ability is lacking.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the HRI theory by confirming that people may treat robots as human strangers when they first see them. When a robot's face is more realistic, people expect it to behave like an actual human being. However, as the sample size of this study was small and all visitors were Asian, the researcher cannot generalize the results to the wider population.

Practical implications

Current robot receptionist has limited interaction ability. Hotel practitioners could learn about hotel guests' behavior and expectation towards android robots to enhance satisfaction and reduce disappointment.

Originality/value

Prior robot research has used questionnaires to investigate perceptions and usage intention, but this study collected on-site data and directly observed people's attitude toward robot staff in an actual business environment.

Details

International Hospitality Review, vol. 38 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-8142

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 July 2022

Paraskevi Gatzioufa and Vaggelis Saprikis

Despite the fact that chatbots have been largely adopted for the last few years, a comprehensive literature review research focusing on the intention of individuals to adopt…

8935

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the fact that chatbots have been largely adopted for the last few years, a comprehensive literature review research focusing on the intention of individuals to adopt chatbots is rather scarce. In this respect, the present paper attempts a literature review investigation of empirical studies focused on the specific issue in nine scientific databases during 2017-2021. Specifically, it aims to classify extant empirical studies which focus on the context of individuals' adoption intention toward chatbots.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based on PRISMA methodology, which revealed a total of 39 empirical studies examining users' intention to adopt and utilize chatbots.

Findings

After a thorough investigation, distinct categorization criteria emerged, such as research field, applied theoretical models, research types, methods and statistical measures, factors affecting intention to adopt and further use chatbots, the countries/continents where these surveys took place as well as relevant research citations and year of publication. In addition, the paper highlights research gaps in the examined issue and proposes future research directions in such a promising information technology solution.

Originality/value

As far as the authors are concerned, there has not been any other comprehensive literature review research to focus on examining previous empirical studies of users' intentions to adopt and use chatbots on the aforementioned period. According to the authors' knowledge, the present paper is the first attempt in the field which demonstrates broad literature review data of relevant empirical studies.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-1964

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 December 2022

Carolin Ischen, Theo B. Araujo, Hilde A.M. Voorveld, Guda Van Noort and Edith G. Smit

Virtual assistants are increasingly used for persuasive purposes, employing the different modalities of voice and text (or a combination of the two). In this study, the authors…

2728

Abstract

Purpose

Virtual assistants are increasingly used for persuasive purposes, employing the different modalities of voice and text (or a combination of the two). In this study, the authors compare the persuasiveness of voice-and text-based virtual assistants. The authors argue for perceived human-likeness and cognitive load as underlying mechanisms that can explain why voice- and text-based assistants differ in their persuasive potential by suppressing the activation of consumers' persuasion knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

A pre-registered online-experiment (n = 450) implemented a text-based and two voice-based (with and without interaction history displayed in text) virtual assistants.

Findings

Findings show that, contrary to expectations, a text-based assistant is perceived as more human-like compared to a voice-based assistant (regardless of whether the interaction history is displayed), which in turn positively influences brand attitudes and purchase intention. The authors also find that voice as a communication modality can increase persuasion knowledge by being cognitively more demanding in comparison to text.

Practical implications

Simply using voice as a presumably human cue might not suffice to give virtual assistants a human-like appeal. For the development of virtual assistants, it might be beneficial to actively engage consumers to increase awareness of persuasion.

Originality/value

The current study adds to the emergent research stream considering virtual assistants in explicitly exploring modality differences between voice and text (and a combination of the two) and provides insights into the effects of persuasion coming from virtual assistants.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 July 2019

Michelle M.E. van Pinxteren, Ruud W.H. Wetzels, Jessica Rüger, Mark Pluymaekers and Martin Wetzels

Service robots can offer benefits to consumers (e.g. convenience, flexibility, availability, efficiency) and service providers (e.g. cost savings), but a lack of trust hinders…

20008

Abstract

Purpose

Service robots can offer benefits to consumers (e.g. convenience, flexibility, availability, efficiency) and service providers (e.g. cost savings), but a lack of trust hinders consumer adoption. To enhance trust, firms add human-like features to robots; yet, anthropomorphism theory is ambiguous about their appropriate implementation. This study therefore aims to investigate what is more effective for fostering trust: appearance features that are more human-like or social functioning features that are more human-like.

Design/methodology/approach

In an experimental field study, a humanoid service robot displayed gaze cues in the form of changing eye colour in one condition and static eye colour in the other. Thus, the robot was more human-like in its social functioning in one condition (displaying gaze cues, but not in the way that humans do) and more human-like in its appearance in the other (static eye colour, but no gaze cues). Self-reported data from 114 participants revealing their perceptions of trust, anthropomorphism, interaction comfort, enjoyment and intention to use were analysed using partial least squares path modelling.

Findings

Interaction comfort moderates the effect of gaze cues on anthropomorphism, insofar as gaze cues increase anthropomorphism when comfort is low and decrease it when comfort is high. Anthropomorphism drives trust, intention to use and enjoyment.

Research limitations/implications

To extend human–robot interaction literature, the findings provide novel theoretical understanding of anthropomorphism directed towards humanoid robots.

Practical implications

By investigating which features influence trust, this study gives managers insights into reasons for selecting or optimizing humanoid robots for service interactions.

Originality/value

This study examines the difference between appearance and social functioning features as drivers of anthropomorphism and trust, which can benefit research on self-service technology adoption.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 July 2020

Rui Yang and Hongbo Sun

Collaboration is a common phenomenon in human society. The best way of collaborations can make the group achieve the best interests. Because of the low cost and high repeatability…

Abstract

Purpose

Collaboration is a common phenomenon in human society. The best way of collaborations can make the group achieve the best interests. Because of the low cost and high repeatability of simulation, it is a good method to explore the best way of collaborations by means of simulation. The traditional simulation is difficult to adapt to the crowd intelligence network simulation, so the crowd collaborations simulation is proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the atomic swarm intelligence unit and collective swarm intelligence unit are proposed to represent the behavior of individuals and groups in physical space and the interaction between them.

Findings

To explore the best collaboration mode of the group, a framework of crowd collaborations simulation is proposed, which decomposes the big goal into the small goals by constructing the cooperation chain and analyzes the cooperation results and feeds them back to the next simulation.

Originality/value

Two kinds of swarm intelligence units are used to represent the simulated individuals in the group, and the pattern is used to represent individual behavior. It is suitable for the simulation of collaboration problems in various types and situations.

Details

International Journal of Crowd Science, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-7294

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Antje Fricke, Nadine Pieper and David M. Woisetschläger

Consumers' perceptions of product intelligence affect their willingness to accept smart offerings. This paper explores how people perceive various smart products based on their…

Abstract

Purpose

Consumers' perceptions of product intelligence affect their willingness to accept smart offerings. This paper explores how people perceive various smart products based on their smartness profiles, composed of five distinct smartness facets. Additionally, the study investigates how these perceptions of product intelligence impact consumers' evaluation of factors that either promote or impede the adoption of smart products. These factors are examined as potential mediators in the adoption process. This paper aims to determine if the value-based adoption model can be applied to a broad range of smart service systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Consumers assessed one of 28 smart products in a scenario-based quantitative study. Multilevel structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the conceptual model, taking the nested data structure into account.

Findings

The findings show that product smartness essentially enhances usage intention via adoption drivers (enjoyment and usefulness) and reduces usage intention via adoption barriers (intrusiveness). In particular, the ability to interact in a humanlike manner increases the benefits consumers perceive, which in turn increases consumer acceptance. Only the smartness characteristic of awareness impairs usage intention, mediated by the perceived benefits of enjoyment and usefulness.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous research, which usually focuses on single smart products, this work examines a variety of different products, which allows for better transferability of the results to other smart offerings. Furthermore, prior research has mainly focused on single facets of product smartness or researched smartness on an aggregated level. By considering the consumer perception of each smartness facet, the authors gain deeper insights into the perceptual differences regarding product smartness and how this affects technology adoption via conflicting key acceptance drivers and barriers.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 34 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000