Exploring consumers' response to text-based chatbots in e-commerce: the moderating role of task complexity and chatbot disclosure

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xusen Cheng ◽  
Ying Bao ◽  
Alex Zarifis ◽  
Wankun Gong ◽  
Jian Mou
Keyword(s):  
Task Complexity ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Identity Disclosure ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbots have brought unprecedented business potential. This study aims to explore consumers' trust and response to a text-based chatbot in e-commerce, involving the moderating effects of task complexity and chatbot identity disclosure.Design/methodology/approachA survey method with 299 useable responses was conducted in this research. This study adopted the ordinary least squares regression to test the hypotheses.FindingsFirst, the consumers' perception of both the empathy and friendliness of the chatbot positively impacts their trust in it. Second, task complexity negatively moderates the relationship between friendliness and consumers' trust. Third, disclosure of the text-based chatbot negatively moderates the relationship between empathy and consumers' trust, while it positively moderates the relationship between friendliness and consumers' trust. Fourth, consumers' trust in the chatbot increases their reliance on the chatbot and decreases their resistance to the chatbot in future interactions.Research limitations/implicationsAdopting the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework, this study provides important insights on consumers' perception and response to the text-based chatbot. The findings of this research also make suggestions that can increase consumers' positive responses to text-based chatbots.Originality/valueExtant studies have investigated the effects of automated bots' attributes on consumers' perceptions. However, the boundary conditions of these effects are largely ignored. This research is one of the first attempts to provide a deep understanding of consumers' responses to a chatbot.

Voicing concerns for greater engagement

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manish Gupta ◽  
Sindhu Ravindranath ◽  
Y.L.N. Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Scholars argue that supervisor’s job insecurity may affect subordinates’ work engagement. Moreover, this relationship may be mediated by subordinates’ pro-social voice and the relationship between the supervisor’s job insecurity and subordinates’ pro-social voice may be moderated by organizational culture. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the mediating role of the subordinate’s pro-social voice between supervisor’s job insecurity and subordinates’ work engagement. Second, to test the moderating role of organizational culture between supervisor’s job insecurity and the subordinates’ pro-social voice. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from employees of a large hospital in India using face-to-face data cross-sectional survey method. To test the proposed hypotheses, ordinary least squares regression analysis was performed on the data obtained. Findings The results indicated support for the proposed model in two ways. First, the subordinate’s pro-social voice mediated the relationship between supervisor’s job insecurity and the subordinate’s work engagement. Second, organizational culture acted as a moderator between supervisor’s job insecurity and the subordinate’s pro-social voice. Research limitations/implications The results augment social exchange theory by identifying the crucial role that voicing concerns plays in reducing the negative impact of supervisor’s job insecurity on the subordinates’ work engagement. Practical implications The study findings encourage managers to create an organizational culture that allows the subordinates to challenge their supervisor’s decisions. Originality/value To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first study to test job insecurity of the supervisors instead of the same respondents as a predictor of pro-social voice.

The impact of technological innovation efficiency on firm growth

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubén Martínez-Alonso ◽  
María J. Martínez-Romero ◽  
Alfonso A. Rojo-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Firm Growth ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Involvement In Management ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer new insights regarding an issue that has attracted the interest of multitude academics and practitioners in business management and family firm literature: technological innovation (TI). Specifically, this study brings new knowledge regarding both the impact of TI efficiency on firm growth and the moderating role of family involvement in management on such relationship. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a matched-pairs design and an ordinary least squares regression analysis to examine a sample of 152 Spanish manufacturing firms. Findings First, the authors show that firms obtaining higher TI efficiency are also those that achieve superior growth. Second, the authors reveal that as family involvement in management increases, the positive effect that TI efficiency exerts on firm growth is strengthened. Practical implications This study suggests that family managers should essentially consider various aspects such as tacit knowledge, social capital and long-standing collaborations with stakeholders to reinforce the relationship between TI efficiency and firm growth. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyses the effect of TI efficiency on firm growth, as well as, when and to what extent family involvement in management influences the TI efficiency–growth relationship. Thus, this paper provides a deeper understanding of the importance that family managers could have on firm growth deriving from TI efficiency.

The impact of executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and organizational slack on innovation strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengyuan Wang ◽  
Biao Luo ◽  
Yong Liu ◽  
Zhengyun Wei
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Organizational Slack ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The paper aims to study the relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies and investigate the moderating effect of contextual factor (i.e. organizational slack) on such relations. It proposes a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies, in which different perceptions of environmental threats will lead to corresponding innovation strategies, and dyadic organizational slack can promote such processes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a survey with 163 valid questionnaires, which were all completed by executives. Hierarchical ordinary least-squares regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses proposed in this paper. Findings The paper provides empirical insights about that executives tend to choose exploratory innovation when they perceive environmental changes as likely loss threats, yet adopt exploitative innovation when perceiving control-reducing threats. Furthermore, unabsorbed slack (e.g. financial redundancy) positively moderates both relationships, while absorbed slack (e.g. operational redundancy) merely positively influences the relationship between the perception of control-reducing threats and exploitative innovation. Originality/value The paper bridges the gap between organizational innovation and cognitive theory by proposing a dualistic relationship between executives’ perceptions of environmental threats and innovation strategies. The paper further enriches innovation studies by jointly considering both subjective and objective influence factors of innovation and argues that organizational slack can moderate such dualistic relationship.

Uncertainty and subjective task complexity in the information-seeking behaviour of lawyers

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 266-281
Author(s):  
Nafisat Toyin Adewale ◽  
Yushiana Mansor ◽  
Muhammad-Bashir Owolabi Yusuf ◽  
Ahmeed Onikosi
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Law Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Minimum Requirement ◽  
Educational Qualification ◽  
Populated State ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study investigates the moderating effects of age, experience and educational qualification on the relationship between uncertainty and subjective task complexity among lawyers working in private law firms in Lagos State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A survey method was adopted and data were gathered using questionnaires. The analysis was carried out based on partial least squares structural equation modelling using SmartPLS 2.0 M3 software. Findings Results showed that the effect of uncertainty on subjective task complexity is significantly moderated by age, educational attainment, experience of the lawyers under study. Research limitations/implications Although data were collected in the most populated state and commercial hub of Nigeria, generalisation based on findings may still need to be made with caution. Practical implications Attainment of higher educational qualification is highly important for lawyers even though the minimum requirement to practice as a lawyer is a degree. Lawyers with higher degrees (LLM and PhD) had less uncertainty and perceived their tasks to be less complex compared to their counterparts who had the first degree (LLB). Originality/value The demographic profile of professionals (age, education and experience) has proven to have an impact on their perception about task complexity as determined by uncertainty as found in this study.

Audit committee characteristics and the moderating effect of Malaysian code of corporate governance on IPO liquidity

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Mohammed Al-Masawa ◽  
Rasidah Mohd-Rashid ◽  
Hamdan Amer Al-Jaifi ◽  
Shaker Dahan Al-Duais
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Initial Public Offerings ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Code Of Corporate Governance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to investigate the link between audit committee characteristics and the liquidity of initial public offerings (IPOs) in Malaysia, which is an emerging economy in Southeast Asia. Another purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of the revised Malaysian code of corporate governance (MCCG) on the link between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Design/methodology/approach The final sample consists of 304 Malaysian IPOs listed in 2002–2017. This study uses ordinary least squares regression method to analyse the data. To confirm this study’s findings, a hierarchical or four-stage regression analysis is used to compare the t-values of the main and moderate regression models. Findings The findings show that audit committee characteristics (size and director independence) have a positive and significant relationship with IPO liquidity. Also, the revised MCCG positively moderates the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings indicate that companies with higher audit committee independence have a more effective monitoring mechanism that mitigates information asymmetry, thus reducing adverse selection issues during share trading. Practical implications Policymakers could use the results of this study in developing policies for IPO liquidity improvements. Additionally, the findings are useful for traders and investors in their investment decision-making. For companies, the findings highlight the crucial role of the audit committee as part of the control system that monitors corporate governance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this work is a pioneering study in the context of a developing country, specifically Malaysia that investigates the impact of audit committee characteristics on IPO liquidity. Previously, the link between corporate governance and IPO liquidity had not been investigated in Malaysia. This study also contributes to the IPO literature by providing empirical evidence regarding the moderating effect of the revised MCCG on the relationship between audit committee characteristics and IPO liquidity.

Entrepreneurship and economic growth: does gender matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah R. Crane
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Entrepreneurial Firms ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Survey ◽  
Country Analysis

PurposeEntrepreneurial firms contribute to economic growth, but the potential gendered nature of this contribution must be investigated as outcomes of male-owned and female-owned firms differ. The study investigates the female underperformance hypothesis in a cross-country analysis of Schumpeterian entrepreneurs. Next, it investigates if there is a gendered dimension of Schumpeterian firm contribution to economic growth.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes both nonparametric and parametric methodologies. Through nonparametric methods, the success of female-owned and male-owned firms is compared. Next, a parametric ordinary least squares regression model tests if there is a gendered nature of an entrepreneurial firm's economic contribution.FindingsIn nonparametric analyses, female-owned entrepreneurial firms in developed countries perform similarly to male-owned firms, while in developing countries male-owned firms significantly outperform female-owned firms. The author also finds strong evidence that the gender of the Schumpeterian entrepreneur does not matter in the contribution in economic growth.Research limitations/implicationsIn all countries, the number of female-owned entrepreneurial firms was significantly lower than that of male-owned firms. The findings point to consistent cultural barriers for women in innovation-related fields and persistent gendered norms in entrepreneurship. Thus, removal of cultural barriers and continued support for Schumpeterian entrepreneurship will benefit women and contribute to a country's economic growth.Originality/valueThe data for this study is a unique utilization of the Enterprise World Survey to identify Schumpeterian entrepreneurial firms. Additionally, the study challenges the female underperformance hypothesis and contributes to the literature on the role of entrepreneurship in economic growth.

New trends in intellectual capital reporting

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 814-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Manes Rossi ◽  
Giuseppe Nicolò ◽  
Paolo Tartaglia Polcini
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
University System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Explanatory Factors ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore a new way to disclose intellectual capital (IC) in universities through their websites. Going beyond traditional tools used for intellectual capital disclosure (ICD), this study aims at identifying possible determinants of ICD via the web. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses the institutional websites of a sample of Italian universities adapting the theoretical framework developed by Low et al. (2015) to the peculiarities of the Italian university system. Moreover, the relationship between certain explanatory factors identified in previous research and the extent of online ICD represented by two disclosure indexes was tested through an ordinary least squares regression model. Findings The analysis reveals the extensive use of ICD via websites, especially regarding human and internal capital, while the disclosure of external capital through this means is still limited. Internationality and online visibility both positively affect the extent of a university’s ICD. Research limitations/implications The paper represents the first study investigating online ICD and its determinants in universities, contributing new knowledge to help answer the how and what of the matter. Practical implications The results can serve as encouragement to university managers to enhance online ICD to meet the information needs of a wider audience. Originality/value This is the first study to provide evidence about online ICD in universities and to reveal some of the possible determinants to improve this disclosure.

Reconciling temporal conflicts in innovation ambidexterity: the role of TMT temporal leadership

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1899-1920
Author(s):  
Jiawen Chen ◽  
Linlin Liu
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Temporal Aspects ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to extend the temporal perspective on ambidexterity by investigating how and under what conditions top management team (TMT) temporal leadership improves innovation ambidexterity. Design/methodology/approach Using a questionnaire survey, data were collected from 165 small- and medium-sized enterprises in China. Ordinary least squares regression models were applied to test the hypotheses. Findings The findings show that TMT temporal leadership has a positive effect on innovation ambidexterity and temporal conflict mediates this relationship. Market dynamism and institutional support moderate the indirect effect of TMT temporal leadership on innovation ambidexterity. Practical implications Managers wishing to promote exploration and exploitation simultaneously should pay attention to the temporal aspects of their innovation strategy and improve their temporal leadership activities. Originality/value This study highlights the temporal conflicts in ambidexterity and clarifies the enabling role of TMT temporal leadership. It contributes new insights to the research on organizational ambidexterity and strategic leadership.

Consumers and their celebrity brands: how personal narratives set the stage for attachment

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 831-847
Author(s):  
Bennie Eng ◽  
Cheryl Burke Jarvis
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Professional Lives ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Norms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how consumer attachment to celebrity brands is driven by perceived narratives about the celebrity’s persona, which triggers communal (i.e. altruistic) relationship norms. The research investigates the differential role of narratives about celebrities’ personal vs professional lives in creating attachment and identifies and tests moderating effects of narrative characteristics including perceived source of fame, valence and authenticity. Design/methodology/approach Three online experiments tested the proposed direct, meditating and moderating relationships. Data was analyzed using mediation analysis and multiple ANOVAs. Findings The results suggest relationship norms that are more altruistic in nature fully mediate the relationship between narrative type and brand attachment. Additionally, personal narratives produce stronger attachment than professional narratives; the celebrity’s source of fame moderates narrative type and attachment; and on-brand narratives elicit higher attachment than off-brand narratives, even when these narratives are negative. Practical implications The authors offer recommendations for how marketers can shape celebrity brand narratives to build stronger consumer attachment. Notably, personal (vs professional) narratives are critical in building attachment, especially for celebrity brands that are perceived to have achieved their fame. Both positive and negative personal narratives can strengthen attachment for achieved celebrity brands, but only if they are on-brand with consumer expectations. Originality/value This research is an introductory examination of the fundamental theoretical process by which celebrity brand relationships develop from brand persona narratives and how characteristics of those narratives influence consumer-brand attachment.

Clarifying the interface between respectful leadership and intention to stay

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibeawuchi K. Enwereuzor ◽  
Lawrence E. Ugwu
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Context ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Intention To Stay ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mandatory Training ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeConsidering that leaders play an important role in influencing the work environment and experiences of subordinates as well as the fact that employees like to be respected, the purpose of the current study was to explore supportive supervisor relations as a mediator of the relationship between respectful leadership and intention to stay.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 389 hospital nurses based on authors' personal networks at three measurement points. This was done to avoid problems associated with collecting data for predictor and criterion variables from the same source at the same time. The direct and indirect effects were tested with ordinary least squares regression-based path analysis.FindingsRespectful leadership was found to be positively related to both supportive supervisor relations and intention to stay. In addition, supportive supervisor relations had a positive relationship with intention to stay. Finally, the relationship between respectful leadership and intention to stay was mediated by supportive supervisor relations.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample were drawn from nurses only in a particularly region of a country and differences may exist among other occupational groups and geographical areas of the country in the way they perceive their leaders' behavior.Practical implicationsManagement of health facilities can utilize information from annual reviews and feedback from subordinates as performance evaluation criteria for rewarding leaders who treat their subordinates respectfully. However, leaders who are disrespectful toward their subordinates could be identified and subjected to mandatory training on respectful leadership.Originality/valueThe current study extends the present state of research on the impact exerted by respectful leadership in an organizational context never examined heretofore; that is, health care context. This is also the first study linking respectful leadership, supportive supervisor relations and intention to stay in unison in a single study.

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