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Enhancing chatbot effectiveness: The role of anthropomorphic conversational styles and time orientation

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  • Roy, Rajat
  • Naidoo, Vik

Abstract

Chatbots are increasingly engaged in retail settings, although research shows that consumers typically prefer engaging with humans over chatbots. Past literature has argued that anthropomorphising chatbots can lead to more effective consumer interactions. The current work further enhances this literature by showing that chatbots can be given human qualities like warmth and competence to enhance positive consumer experiences. However, we find that these exchanges are contingent on consumers’ time orientation. We conduct one pre-test (N = 103), two laboratory experiments (N = 213 and 233) and a third study engaging live chatbot conversations (N = 77) to test the premises of our study. The findings show that present-oriented subjects prefer a warm versus competent chatbot conversation, leading to favourable product decisions. Their counterparts, future-oriented subjects, prefer a competent vs. warm conversation. Brand perceptions further mediate these effects. The findings contribute to the literature on chatbot anthropomorphism and inform managerial decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy, Rajat & Naidoo, Vik, 2021. "Enhancing chatbot effectiveness: The role of anthropomorphic conversational styles and time orientation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 23-34.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:126:y:2021:i:c:p:23-34
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.051
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Fu & Wei, Haiying & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2022. "Warmth or competence: Brand anthropomorphism, social exclusion, and advertisement effectiveness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    2. El Hedhli, Kamel & Zourrig, Haithem & Al Khateeb, Amr & Alnawas, Ibrahim, 2023. "Stereotyping human-like virtual influencers in retailing: Does warmth prevail over competence?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    3. Debasis Pradhan, 2022. "Pandemics and consumer well‐being: Provenance and research priorities," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 28-33, March.
    4. Cheng, Zhendong & Fan, Wenfang & Shao, Bingjia & Jia, Wenli & Zhang, Yong, 2024. "The impact of intelligent customer service agents’ initial response on consumers’ continuous interaction intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    5. Tao Zhang & Chao Feng & Hui Chen & Junjie Xian, 2022. "Calming the customers by AI: Investigating the role of chatbot acting-cute strategies in soothing negative customer emotions," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(4), pages 2277-2292, December.
    6. Justina Sidlauskiene & Yannick Joye & Vilte Auruskeviciene, 2023. "AI-based chatbots in conversational commerce and their effects on product and price perceptions," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-21, December.
    7. Xuequn Wang & Xiaolin Lin & Bin Shao, 2023. "Artificial intelligence changes the way we work: A close look at innovating with chatbots," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 74(3), pages 339-353, March.
    8. Sun, Yuan & Chen, Jin & Sundar, S. Shyam, 2024. "Chatbot ads with a human touch: A test of anthropomorphism, interactivity, and narrativity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    9. Ahn, Jungyong & Kim, Jungwon & Sung, Yongjun, 2022. "The effect of gender stereotypes on artificial intelligence recommendations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 50-59.
    10. Zhou, Cheng & Chang, Qian, 2024. "Informational or emotional? Exploring the relative effects of chatbots’ self-recovery strategies on consumer satisfaction," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    11. Le, Hoang Tran Phuoc Mai & Park, Jungkun & Lee, Sangwoo, 2023. "Emotion and trust in virtual service assistant design for effective service recovery," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    12. Hai Lan & Xiaofei Tang & Yong Ye & Huiqin Zhang, 2024. "Abstract or concrete? The effects of language style and service context on continuous usage intention for AI voice assistants," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Lim, Xin-Jean & Cheah, Jun-Hwa & Ng, Siew Imm & Basha, Norazlyn Kamal & Soutar, Geoff, 2021. "The effects of anthropomorphism presence and the marketing mix have on retail app continuance use intention," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    14. Zogaj, Adnan & Mähner, Philipp M. & Yang, Linyu & Tscheulin, Dieter K., 2023. "It’s a Match! The effects of chatbot anthropomorphization and chatbot gender on consumer behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    15. Mari, Alex & Mandelli, Andreina & Algesheimer, René, 2024. "Empathic voice assistants: Enhancing consumer responses in voice commerce," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    16. Mariani, Marcello M. & Hashemi, Novin & Wirtz, Jochen, 2023. "Artificial intelligence empowered conversational agents: A systematic literature review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Yao, Ruiqi & Qi, Guijie & Wu, Zhiqiang & Sun, Hua & Sheng, Dongfang, 2024. "Digital human calls you dear: How do customers respond to virtual streamers’ social-oriented language in e-commerce livestreaming? A stereotyping perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    18. Na Cai & Shuhong Gao & Jinzhe Yan, 2024. "How the communication style of chatbots influences consumers’ satisfaction, trust, and engagement in the context of service failure," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Schillaci, Carmela Elita & de Cosmo, Lucrezia Maria & Piper, Luigi & Nicotra, Melita & Guido, Gianluigi, 2024. "Anthropomorphic chatbots' for future healthcare services: Effects of personality, gender, and roles on source credibility, user satisfaction, and intention to use," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    20. Yang, Yikai & Zheng, Jiehui & Yu, Yining & Qiu, Yiling & Wang, Lei, 2024. "The role of recommendation sources and attribute framing in online product recommendations," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    21. Zhu, Yimin & Zhang, Jiemin & Wu, Jifei & Liu, Yingyue, 2022. "AI is better when I'm sure: The influence of certainty of needs on consumers' acceptance of AI chatbots," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 642-652.
    22. Lee, Kuo-Wei & Li, Chia-Ying, 2023. "It is not merely a chat: Transforming chatbot affordances into dual identification and loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    23. Li, Meichan & Wang, Rui, 2023. "Chatbots in e-commerce: The effect of chatbot language style on customers’ continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    24. Mark Anthony Camilleri & Ciro Troise, 2023. "Live support by chatbots with artificial intelligence: A future research agenda," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(1), pages 61-80, March.
    25. Yuanyuan Zhou & Zhuoying Fei & Yuanqiong He & Zhilin Yang, 2022. "How Human–Chatbot Interaction Impairs Charitable Giving: The Role of Moral Judgment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(3), pages 849-865, July.

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