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This paper reviews existing research to understand when, how and with what results robotic process automation (RPA) is implemented by organizations.

The authors have identified 84 sources across eight databases and have analyzed them through the lens of a context–intervention–mechanism–outcomes framework (CIMO). The CIMO analysis maps the contextual drivers, intervention approaches and value related outcomes associated with RPA implementation.

The result of the analysis is the identification of four mechanisms explaining the approach organizations take to implement RPA: digitizing business processes, performing knowledge work together with humans, replacing outsourcing with RPA robots and developing a new business model. Therefore, in this paper, in order to reduce RPA literature fragmentation, the authors take into account the digital transformation (DT) perspective, by considering RPA as one example of digital technology.

This study sensitize organizational adopters to the different mechanisms they can deploy to conduct RPA implementations to achieve different desired outcomes in response to different drivers. Moreover, having a clear picture of the key enablers and associated barriers to the realization of these alternative paths serve as a useful map to guide the implementation process.

The findings contribute to DT research by conceptualizing these mechanisms through which organizations deploy automation tools—such as RPA.

The purpose is to investigate the impact of the value co-creation behaviour of parents on a set of education service outcomes, including perceived school reputation, parent satisfaction and teacher competence.

An online survey of 932 parents of primary and secondary school children was conducted. Canonical correlation analysis (general linear model) was used to test the impact of parental involvement in value co-creation behaviour on education service outcomes.

Value co-creation behaviour has a positive impact on education service outcomes, but the impact differs depending on the type of behaviour. Parent citizenship behaviour positively affects satisfaction, school reputation and perceived teacher competence. However, parent participation behaviour positively affects satisfaction with the school and perceived teacher competence.

The study used self-reported data from parents, which may be biased and subject to errors. Future research could use more objective measures such as administrative records or teacher reports. The study's results are limited to one country, highlighting the need for further research in multiple countries.

The study's findings have implications for education service providers in terms of the importance of supporting parental involvement in their child's school life via value co-creation behaviour.

The study contributes to the service dominant logic, value co-creation theory and educational marketing literature by providing the detailed empirical evidences of parents' value co-creation outcomes in the context of the primary and secondary schools.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming consumers' experiences and how firms identify, create, nurture and manage interactive marketing relationships. However, most marketers do not have a clear understanding of what AI is and how it may mutually benefit consumers and firms. In this paper, the authors conduct an extensive review of the marketing literature, develop an AI framework for understanding value co-creation in interactive buyer–seller marketing relationships, identify research gaps and offer a future research agenda.

The authors first conduct an extensive literature review in 16 top marketing journals on AI. Based on this review, an AI framework for understanding value co-creation in interactive buyer–seller marketing relationships was conceptualized.

The literature review led to a number of key research findings and summary areas: (1) an historical perspective, (2) definitions and boundaries of AI, (3) AI and interactive marketing, (4) relevant theories in the domain of interactive marketing and (5) synthesizing AI research based on antecedents to AI usage, interactive AI usage contexts and AI-enabled value co-creation outcomes.

This is one of the most extensive reviews of AI literature in marketing, including an evaluation of in excess or 300 conceptual and empirical research. Based on the findings, the authors offer a future research agenda, including a visual titled “What is AI in Interactive Marketing? AI design factors, AI core elements & interactive marketing AI usage contexts.”

This study examines the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) for e-recruitment and its impacts on public value outcomes.

A survey was conducted with 213 public sector employees in the federal civil service using a questionnaire to test a conceptual model integrating the Technology Acceptance Model, Media Richness Theory and Public Value Theory using PLS-SEM analysis.

Results validate significant positive relationships between ICT adoption, social media use for e-recruitment and public value creation. Internet self-efficacy positively moderates public value outcomes.

While this study makes valuable contributions, avenues remain to further expand generalizability, strengthen validity and incorporate additional institutional factors in the framework.

The study provides insights to guide policies and interventions aimed at improving ICT adoption success and public value gains from e-government investments in developing countries.

The research makes key contributions by operationalizing and empirically assessing the public value impacts of e-government innovations and examining adoption issues in an understudied developing country context.

Digital transformations are altering service models and care delivery methods in healthcare. Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents the next wave of transformation in healthcare. This study aims to understand patient perceptions of AI and its impact on value co-creation.

A conceptual model was developed to investigate how value co-creation operant resources (digital self-efficacy and relational service quality) impact value co-creation engagement (shared decision-making) and value co-creation outcomes (anticipatory AI value co-creation and intention to adopt AI). Data were collected from 332 respondents and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The results indicate that the value co-creation process for AI technologies is a function of inputs, experiences and AI outputs. Operant resources were found to be positively associated with shared decision-making. However, not all operant resources directly and positively impacted AI outcomes. The indirect and positive mediated relationships through shared decision-making to AI outcomes suggest an interactive AI value co-creation process.

AI technologies are still in early stages of consumer adoption in healthcare. Future research is warranted that investigates the validity of the model through maturing service life cycles.

Customer perceptions of new digital innovations are formed in the context of previous digital experiences. Marketers need to understand how customers view their current non-AI technologies. Strong engagement and perceived value of current technologies will help ease customers into the usage of AI technologies.

This study investigates the unique stages of the value co-creation process for AI technologies in healthcare. The results demonstrate that the value co-creation process is a function of inputs, tech-enabled experiences and AI outputs.

Primary teachers play a vital role in fostering pupils' successful futures. Therefore, gaining knowledge of primary teacher students' learning processes, including the achievement of information-seeking skills, is crucial. The aim of this paper is to understand better the interplay between cognitive appraisals and emotions in the constructivist process of learning and achieving information-seeking skills.

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Swedish primary teacher students. The analysis of qualitative data was deductive and theory-driven, guided by Kuhlthau's information search process model, Scherer's semantic space of emotions and Pekrun's control-value theory of achievement emotions.

Anger/frustration, enjoyment and boredom were identified as activity emotions and anxiety, hopelessness and hope as prospective outcome emotions. The retrospective outcome emotions found were pride, joy, gratitude, surprise and relief. The appraisals eliciting the achievement emotions were the control appraisals uncertainty/certainty (activity and prospective outcome) and oneself/other (retrospective), and value appraisals negative/positive intrinsic motivation (activity) and failure/success (prospective and retrospective). The interplay between appraisals and emotions was complex and dynamic. The processes were individually unique, non-linear and iterative, and the appraisals did not always elicit emotions.

The study has theoretical and methodological implications for information behaviour research in its application of appraisal theories and the Geneva affect label coder. In addition, it has practical implications for academic librarians teaching information-seeking skills.

Despite the significant interest from researchers and practitioners, the literature on project value measurement from the perspective of the customer is non-existent. This study aims to address this gap by developing and validating a scale to measure project value through a customer lens called the customer perception of project value scale.

A list of items was initially generated based on 762 sample responses through a systematic review of the literature and with the participation of specialists. Exploratory and confirmatory factorial analyses and structural equation modelling were used to develop and validate the scale.

The authors formulated a four-dimension scale. The dimensions used to measure the second-order construct are customer centrality, process, delivery and cost-benefit. This was validated using a nomological structure.

The non-consensual nature of what is value in projects restricts the results of this study to the context of a specific group of stakeholders only, that is, the consumers of the projects. The authors also see limitations in the absence of competing scales, which do not allow the comparison of the instrument with alternative measures.

This study allows project managers and other professionals to measure a project’s perceived value from the customer’s point of view and manage the improvement of this perception.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to propose a scale to measure project value, which advances the literature on project management and value and contributes to academic knowledge and practice by measuring project value from the customer standpoint.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carry huge economic importance worldwide. At the same time, SMEs face specific challenges, some of which may be alleviated by employing accountants. However, research on the role and impact of accountants in SMEs has long remained fragmented and scarce. This paper aims to encourage more research on accountants in SMEs by providing the first comprehensive and systematic review of relevant research.

Based on systematic review methods, the authors critically examine 68 research articles dealing with accountants in SMEs.

The review identifies three dominant roles for accountants in SMEs: providers of reporting services, sources of SME owners’ self-validation and translators between capital providers and SMEs and advisors. Implicitly, many studies assume a value-enhancing effect of employing accountants in SMEs regardless of these specific roles. At the same time, available studies seldom make use of existing theoretical frameworks to more closely analyze the value-enhancing potential of human resources such as accountants. The authors, thus, propose the resource-based view as a robust theoretical framework to improve theory building in research on accountants in SMEs.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first systematic review of accountants in SMEs. In addition, the authors develop a resource-based model on accountants in SMEs to guide future research on this topic.

This paper explores optimal service resource management strategy, a continuous challenge for health information service to enhance service performance, optimise service resource utilisation and deliver interactive health information service.

An adaptive optimal service resource management strategy was developed considering a value co-creation model in health information service with a focus on collaborative and interactive with users. The deep reinforcement learning algorithm was embedded in the Internet of Things (IoT)-based health information service system (I-HISS) to allocate service resources by controlling service provision and service adaptation based on user engagement behaviour. The simulation experiments were conducted to evaluate the significance of the proposed algorithm under different user reactions to the health information service.

The results indicate that the proposed service resource management strategy, considering user co-creation in the service delivery, process improved both the service provider’s business revenue and users' individual benefits.

The findings may facilitate the design and implementation of health information services that can achieve a high user service experience with low service operation costs.

This study is amongst the first to propose a service resource management model in I-HISS, considering the value co-creation of the user in the service-dominant logic. The novel artificial intelligence algorithm is developed using the deep reinforcement learning method to learn the adaptive service resource management strategy. The results emphasise user engagement in the health information service process.

The world continues to grapple with grand challenges – climate change, pandemic, poverty, social injustice and diminishing resources – requiring mitigation if we are to focus on well-being and move towards a more sustainable future. Cultivating sustainable ecosystems offers a possible solution. The purpose of this paper is to understand how sustainable organizations at the meso level can nurture sustainable service ecosystems that provide the potential for greater well-being outcomes for individuals, business, society and the planet.

Case study data is gathered from 11 sustainable fashion organizations operating at the meso level within a complex ecosystem. The analysis includes interviews with founders and/or key managers and secondary information from company websites and publicly available reports.

The findings identify key value co-creation sustainable practices at the meso level that facilitate the function of the service ecosystem to create well-being outcomes. Value co-creation practices include – embedding a sustainable ethos; implementing sustainable strategies that embrace innovation, transparency and stakeholder collaboration; and incorporating sustainable communication practices that engage.

Encapsulating sustainability within macromarketing and service ecosystems enables the development of a sustainable service ecosystems framework that has the potential to offer enhanced well-being. Implications for marketing practice in terms of important factors that facilitate service-sustainable ecosystems to enhance well-being are considered.