Chatbot for SMEs: Integrating customer and business owner perspectives

PurposeChatbots have been widely adopted to create more positive customer experiences as customers now spend more time in digital environments. Despite the technological advancement and benefits of chatbots for customer service, research on chatbot applications for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is limited. The absence of research explaining the struggles faced by SMEs contributes to the gap of SMEs' chatbot adoption. This research determines the features and elements that fit with SMEs’ characteristics and their customers with chatbots.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach is used to understand SMEs' needs. Study 1 uses interviews with SME business owners and its customers; it aims to explore the features that should be provided by chatbots for SME by identifying combinations between chatbots' generic features and SMEs' customer characteristics. Study 2 tests features identified in Study 1 and surveys 315 SMEs customers to empirically test featured chatbots' influence to anthropomorphism, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and how they affect SMEs’ customer intentions to use chatbots and their shopping intentions.Findings –The findings suggest four combinations of chatbot features that match SME customer characteristics: responsive; simple steps to trigger customer actions; humanized conversations; and personalized recommendations. An experimental survey was designed by creating a chatbot prototype based on these features. The results show that the featured chatbot prototype affects higher anthropomorphism, perceived enjoyment, and perceived usefulness, compared to the standard chatbot. We also find that perceived enjoyment and usefulness positively affect customer's intention to shop and intention to use the chatbot. While anthropomorphism only affect customer's shopping intention to SMEs.OriginalityThis paper contributes to the emerging service literature on the use of chatbots service interactions, particularly for SMEs. This research provides robust explorations from the perspective of both SME owners and customers. For practice, the research provides guidelines on how to design a chatbot for SMEs that meet customers’ needs.     

Service transformation under industry 4.0: Investigating acceptance of facial recognition payment through an extended technology acceptance model

Technological development has drastically changed customers' daily lives by offering them new ways to shop. It also creates more opportunities for business to achieve sustainable success; however, both scholars and managers are still having relative difficulty in fully grasping customer behavior in terms of technology acceptance during the Industry 4.0. This study aims to investigate the possible factors that drive Chinese customers' willingness to utilize facial recognition payment. The findings showed that factors such as perceived enjoyment, facilitating conditions, personal innovativeness, coupon availability, perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness (PU), and users' attitude are main drivers of customers' decisions to use facial recognition payment. Also, we found that gender differences exist in the adoption of facial recognition payment. Facilitating conditions have stronger effects on men's attitude towards usage, while coupon availability shapes female users' perception of usefulness more powerfully. By testing the extended technology acceptance model (TAM), this study seeks to gain more insight into technological change within society. Overall, investigation of the drivers of customer intention to use facial recognition payment, and exploration of their internal relationships will fulfil theoretical requirements and lead to a better understanding of customers' technology acceptance behavior, which in turn will provide greater theoretical and practical guidance for scholars and managers.     

Social vacation: Proposition of a model to understand tourists’ usage of social media for travel planning

This study develops a theoretical model that highlights the determinants of actual social media (SM) usage for travel planning by combining theoretical frameworks from the marketing, psychology and information systems literature. The data was collected through field as well as online survey in India. An online survey questionnaire link was shared on different social media platforms and social networking sites. Besides, field visits were carried out to collect data in-person through face-to-face interviews. The final sample consists of 539 observations. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to validate the hypothesized relationships among constructs. The results suggest that technological convenience and perceived enjoyment influence the perceived ease of using SM for travel planning. In turn, perceived ease of use impacts perceived usefulness, along with media richness. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, along with trust positively influence intentions to use SM for travel planning, while perceived risk inhibits those intentions. However, trust increases perceived usefulness and mitigates perceived risk. Importantly, intentions exert a strong impact on actual use. This study contributes to the literature by presenting and validating a theory-driven framework that unveils the factors influencing actual usage of SM for travel planning. The proposed theoretical framework emphasizes the key relationships among factors and provides a research basis for development in other contexts.     

Acceptability of mobile stock trading application: A study of young investors in Malaysia

Mobile financial services have been adopted rapidly during the digitisation era. This study therefore aims to investigate the antecedents of mobile stock trading adoption among young investors. Using the structural equation modelling technique, this study develops an integrated theoretical framework from both the Technology Acceptance Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour using survey data from 373 young retail investors. The suggested model incorporates the six constructs of perceived risk, perceived benefits, perceived usefulness, attitude, perceived behavioural control and social influence and assesses how they affect the intention to adopt mobile stock trading. The results show a strong positive connection among attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived benefits and intention towards mobile stock trading. We find that trust adds great explanatory power to perceived behavioural control, attitude and social influence in explaining investors’ adoption intention. Surprisingly, perceived risk is not significantly correlated with adoption intention. This study has employed a comprehensive framework to understand the acceptance level of mobile stock trading.     

The disruptive mobile wallet in the hospitality industry: An extended mobile technology acceptance model

Given that the mobile wallet has become a disruptive innovation, especially in the Malaysian hospitality industry, this study investigates the adoption of mobile wallet in the hospitality industry among consumers. Different from the extant literature, this study extends the newly proposed mobile technology acceptance model with self-efficacy theory, critical mass theory, and flow theory to explain the behavioural intention to adopt. A self-administered questionnaire was utilised to collect data from mobile wallet users who have used a mobile wallet while dining out in restaurants and cafes. Other than technology self-efficacy and perceived critical mass, mobile usefulness, mobile ease of use, mobile self-efficacy, and perceived enjoyment were discovered to have a positive and significant association with the behavioural intention to adopt mobile wallet in the hospitality industry. The findings also suggested there were interrelationships between the constructs employed. Overall, the extended model was able to explain 61% of the variance in behavioural intention to adopt mobile wallet.     

Understanding the Blockchain technology adoption in supply chains-Indian context

Blockchain technology (BT) is expected to bring a revolutionary paradigm shift in the manner the transactions are carried in the supply chains. BT provides better visibility and transparency by removing the disadvantages of trust related issues in a supply chain. In this paper, we advance the literature on BT and its adoption in the supply chain by developing, and statistically validating a model for understanding the user perceptions on BT adoption. The model is based on the integration of three adoption theories- technology acceptance model (TAM), technology readiness index (TRI) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Based on a survey of 181 supply chain practitioners in India the proposed model was tested using structural equation modelling. The study found that the TRI constructs- Insecurity and discomfort have an insignificant effect on the perceived ease of use and usefulness. Perceived usefulness, attitude, and perceived behavioural control affect the behavioural intention. Subjective norm has a negligible impact on behavioural intention. This is one of the preliminary studies on BT adoption in supply chain and the findings imply that the supply chain practitioners perceive BT adoption free of efforts and would help them to derive maximum benefits for improving the supply chain effectiveness.     

网上购物扩展的计划行为模型的提出与验证

整合了以往的计划行为模型、技术接受模型、交易成本分析，提出了网上购物扩展的计划行为模型（ETPB），并对该模型用结构方程进行了验证。结果发现，开放性人格通过网上购物行为控制正向影响网上购物意向，信任倾向分别通过网上购物交易成本、主观参照正向影响网上购物意向。对于大学生来说，开放性人格对网上购物意向有间接正向影响，而信任倾向、网上购物风险对网上购物意向没有显著的影响；对在职人员来说，信任倾向通过网上购物交易成本间接正向影响网上购物意向，网上购物风险对网上购物意向有直接正向影响，而开放性人格对网上购物意向不存在显著的间接影响。     

Examination of trust and sustainability concerns in autonomous vehicle adoption

The latest developments regarding autonomous vehicles (AVs) have drawn the attention of tech-savvy individuals and marketers. AVs are expected to cause a major change in the markets of vehicle selling, transportation and logistics. Therefore, it is crucial to understand consumer acceptance so that the companies in these markets can develop their penetration strategies accordingly and technology companies can shape their technology development strategies. This study aims to examine individuals' adoption attitudes toward AVs by considering trust and sustainability concerns. This was achieved by expanding the technology acceptance model (TAM). A survey of 391 participants was conducted and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results confirmed previous technology acceptance models by showing the relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioral intention. Moreover, the direct and indirect effects of trust on behavioral intention were also shown. This study provides evidence to extend the TAM to the adoption of AVs by uncovering individuals’ sustainability concerns.     

A new reality: Exploring continuance intention to use mobile augmented reality for entertainment purposes

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that combines virtual objects with the real world. In recent years, the rapid development of smartphones has provided a suitable environment for AR technology. This study aims to explore the continuance intention to utilize AR mobile entertainment applications, using the decomposed theory of planned behavior. The research hypotheses were verified using structural equation modeling, which revealed that: (1) telepresence, perceived mobility, perceived enjoyment, and perceived connectedness exert a positive effect on users' attitude toward AR mobile apps; nostalgia is the only factor not to do so; (2) perceived critical mass has a significant positive impact on subjective norms, whereas peer influence does not; (3) self-efficacy has a significant positive influence on perceived behavioral control but facilitating conditions does not; and (4) users' attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control all have significant positive impacts on users’ intention to continue to use the technology.     

What will it take to adopt smart glasses: A consumer choice based review?

Wearable technologies have become a reality already. Their impact in some fields has already been seen. We explore the factors which are important and help the adoption of these technologies. Specifically we study the adoption factors of smart glasses. Technology adoption process depends on preferences and needs of people who use the systems under study. We explore these phenomenon through two frameworks: Product Characteristics and User Intention Characteristics. The purpose of the first framework is to examine the effects of smart glass design features; Stand-alone device, field of view, interaction, price, and display resolution on user preference through an experimental study and we use conjoint analysis. The second framework explore many more factors such as self-efficacy, anxiety, involvement, risk-task characteristics, enjoyment, usefulness, ease of use, attitude and intention. A web survey supplemented by visual aids was used.     

数字化科普展品用户的行为意向研究

目的探究影响数字化科普展品用户行为意向的因素,促进数字化科普展品的创新设计发展。方法基于技术接受模型,结合产品创新度和用户体验,构建数字化科普展品用户的行为意向理论模型,探讨产品创新度、感知有用、感知易用、用户体验与行为意向的影响关系。根据数字化科普展品用户的行为意向理论模型设计量表和问卷,并进行实证研究,通过结构方程模型对理论模型进行验证。结论感知有用和用户体验显著正向地影响行为意向;产品创新度显著正向地影响感知有用、感知易用和用户体验;感知易用对感知有用和行为意向不存在显著影响关系。产品创新度是数字化科普展品用户的行为意向的关键影响因素,为数字化科普展品的设计创新研究提供一定的理论参考及建议。     

The relationship between IT affordance,flow experience,trust, and social commerce intention: An exploration using the S-O-R paradigm

The rising trend of online social shopping is evident from the increasing volume of online social commerce. However, despite the importance of this development, only a limited number of studies exist pertaining to the factors that affect social commerce intention. To fill this gap in the research, the present study develops a model identifying the antecedents of social commerce intention. Utilizing stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory and the affordance lens, the current study attempts to explore the role of IT affordance, flow experience, and trust on social commerce intention. For this purpose, the empirical data were collected by means of an e-survey instrument from customers that had previously used a social commerce platform for shopping. The authors used the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method to verify the relationships proposed in the model. Our results show that: visibility affordance influences customer purchase intention through trust in the seller and trust in the social media platform; metavoicing affordance influences social commerce intention through flow experience and trust in the social media platform; and guidance shopping affordance influences social commerce intention through flow experience, trust in the seller, and trust in the social media platform. Some significant theoretical and managerial insights are also presented.     

Exploring adoption of augmented reality smart glasses: Applications in the medical industry

This study explores the use of augmented reality smart glasses (ARSGs) by physicians and their adoption of these products in the Turkish medical industry. Google Glass was used as a demonstrative example for the introduction of ARSGs. We proposed an exploratory model based on the technology acceptance model by Davis. Exogenous factors in the model were defined by performing semi-structured in-depth interviews, along with the use of an expert panel in addition to the technology adoption literature. The framework was tested by means of a field study, data was collected via an Internet survey, and path analysis was used. The results indicate that there were a number of factors to be considered in order to understand ARSG adoption by physicians. Usefulness was influenced by ease of use, compatibility, ease of reminding, and speech recognition, while ease of use was affected by ease of learning, ease of medical education, external influence, and privacy. Privacy was the only negative factor that reduced the perceived ease of use, and was found to indirectly create a negative attitude. Compatibility emerged as the most significant external factor for usefulness. Developers of ARSGs should pay attention to healthcare-specific requirements for improved utilization and more extensive adoption of ARSGs in healthcare settings. In particular, they should focus on how to increase the compatibility of ARSGs. Further research needs to be conducted to explain the adoption intention of physicians.     

文化遗产类AR中用户使用意愿影响因素研究

目的 构建文化遗产类AR中用户使用意愿模型,探究影响用户使用文化遗产类AR产品的主要因素。方法 基于技术接受模型与心流理论,通过扎根理论的质性研究方法引入临场感、交互性和美学质量三个用户感知因素为外部变量,构建文化遗产类AR中的用户使用意愿理论模型,探讨相关因素与用户使用意愿的映射关系。根据理论模型设计量表进行实证检验。结果 文化遗产类AR中的美学质量、临场感与交互性是衡量用户使用意愿的重要指标;并且用户在文化遗产类AR中对系统的感知有用、易用与心流体验正向影响其使用意愿。结论 心流体验、美学质量、感知易用性、感知有用性、交互性、临场感的关联度由大到小依次影响用户在文化遗产类AR中的使用意愿,是文化遗产类AR中用户使用意愿提升的关键,为文化遗产类AR的设计创新研究提供指引。     

Factors affecting the behavioral intention to adopt mobile banking: An international comparison

Over the past decade, the markets for mobile and wireless services have been among the world's fastest-growing, especially in Asian countries, presenting financial institutions with significant opportunities to offer value-added services. Mobile banking has since emerged as a new channel enabling the banks to react strategically to changes in competitive forces and to enhance customer convenience.Based on Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) model, this study develops an integrated model to provide a fuller understanding of factors facilitating or impeding the adoption of mobile banking, focusing on consumers in Taiwan and Vietnam. While subjective norms had a significant effect on the intention to adopt, three attributes of mobile banking (compatibility, perceived usefulness, and perceived risk) were found to have indirect effects on intention to adopt mobile banking through attitude toward adoption for consumers in both Taiwan and Vietnam. Intention to adopt mobile banking was indirectly influenced by self-efficacy and facilitating conditions, and directly affected by perceived behavioral control in both nations. Some differences in intention to adopt mobile banking between Taiwanese and Vietnamese are also discussed. Based on the research findings, managerial implications for financial institutions and mobile service providers are discussed.     

The role of cognitive absorption in predicting mobile internet users’ continuance intention: An extension of the expectation-confirmation model

This study uses the expectation-confirmation model (ECM) to investigate how individuals' cognitive absorption (CA) influences their continued use of mobile Internet services. Data were collected from 946 mobile Internet users. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the proposed model and examine the relationships between its constructs. Overall, the model accounted for 55% of the variance in mobile Internet users’ continuance intentions—an element substantially impacted by such factors as perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and CA. Of the factors, CA was found to be the most robust predictor of continuance intention. Alongside confirmation, CA also strongly influenced satisfaction. The findings of this study provide mobile network operators with insights into which determinants will inform retention policies and encourage existing users to continue using the service.     

Investigating acceptance of telemedicine services through an extended technology acceptance model (TAM)

BackgroundDeveloping countries around the globe are striving continuously to provide free access to health care services. Telemedicine services represent a significantly increasing form of an adequate health care delivery mechanism in developing countries.Research objectiveThis research study was aimed at investigating the factors influencing the acceptance of telemedicine services among the rural population of Pakistan. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used as a theoretical framework for this research, with the inclusion of several other antecedents.Research methodA face-to-face survey method was used to collect research data from 275 participants. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.ResultsThe findings suggest that usage intention of telemedicine services is a function of perceived ease of use, technological anxiety, social influence, perceived ease of usefulness, trust, facilitating conditions, perceived risk, and resistance to technology.ConclusionsThis research study confirms the applicability of TAM with the inclusion of additional variables to model the adoption of telemedicine services in developing countries. The study offers valuable information for policymakers and health service providers for understanding the facilitators and inhibitors influencing the large scale implementation of telemedicine services. The research findings regarding factors including perceived risk, trust, facilitating conditions and resistance to change can aid in the design and adequate provision of telemedicine services in developing countries.     

Antecedents of trust in using social media for E-government services: An empirical study in Pakistan

Trust is a major concern that develops citizens' willingness to use social media as a technology platform for e-government services. However, despite its importance, there is lack of prior investigation about the factors that can generate citizens' trust to use such services, particularly in a developing country like Pakistan. To address this research gap, this study aims to develop a model that identifies antecedents of citizens' trust to use social media for e-government services. A total of 615 responses were collected from Pakistani citizens having familiarity with e-government and social media services. Partial least squares (PLS-SEM) method was employed to test the proposed relationships in the model. The findings show a significant relationship of trust with citizens intention to use government social media services. Information quality, structural assurances, perceived security, perceived privacy and perceived ease of use are identified as antecedents of trust. The proposed model of this study explains 56.4% of the variance in trust. The implications, limitations and suggestions for future research have also been discussed. These findings can assist government organizations and policy makers in making decisions to increase citizens participation by facilitating their trust on social media-based services of e-government.     

Factors that influence users’ adoption intention of mobile health: a structural equation modeling approach

Mobile health represents the future trend of health care due to its great potential in improving health care efficiency, accessibility and quality. It is particularly beneficial for chronic disease patients who require long-term and regular services. To improve the products, mobile health developers need to understand patient needs, values and preferences, and assess the key factors that influence their mobile health adoption intentions. This study focuses on identifying the influential factors of patients’ adoption intention of m-Health. A structural equation model is constructed, and the confirmatory factor analysis and standard path coefficient are used to explore the key factors in chronic disease patients’ adoption process of m-Health. The results show that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have the strongest positive effect on patients’ adoption intention. Meanwhile, subjective norm, existing degree of satisfaction, network effect, and cost factor also influence adoption intention. Finally, the House of Quality method is used to examine the relative importance of various properties of m-Health. The Teoriya Resheniya Izobreatatelskikh Zadatch method is applied to resolve the contradictions between these properties. Our study offers important insights for mobile health developers on how to optimally design a product, thereby increasing users’ adoption intention and overall satisfaction.     

Exploring behavioural intentions toward smart healthcare services among medical practitioners: a technology transfer perspective

Recently, a variety of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven smart healthcare services are rapidly emerging in the medical market, such as intelligent image analysis, surgical navigation systems, and aided diagnosis. However, one of the major challenges is practitioners’ hesitation and unwillingness to employ these new technologies in medical practice. This study focuses on identifying the influential factors of adoption intention of smart healthcare services for both clinicians and non-clinicians from the perspective of technology transfer. Through collecting 484 questionnaire data from doctors in Anhui, China, we find support to show that perceived usefulness (PU), attitude, and the experience of using mHealth are key factors that influence both clinicians and non-clinician’s adoption intention. Meanwhile, it is confirmed that subjective norm has a positive effect on only clinicians’ behavioural intention (BI) while perceived risk (PR) has a negative impact on only non-clinicians’ attitude. Among all the constructs, the experience of using mHealth has the strongest positive effect on doctors’ adoption intention on smart healthcare services, a positive impact on the PU and perceived ease of use, and a negative impact on the PR. This study provides an improved understanding of doctors’ BI of smart healthcare services, and practice guidance for product development and marketing strategies.