Scenario-based Experiment Research Articles

Enhancing digital service communication strategies

研究目的基于刺激-有机体-反应理论, 本研究探讨了数字服务沟通策略如何通过感知亲切和感知能力的方式影响了顾客对电子服务代理的使用意愿。研究方法本研究进行了一项基于2x2情境的实验, 以测试所提出的关系。研究发现研究结果表明, 当高权威的对话方参与数字服务沟通时, 顾客在表情存在的对话风格中通过亲切和能力的认知表现出更高的电子服务代理使用意愿。研究创新本研究调查了对话方和对话方式作为数字服务沟通策略在顾客-数字服务互动中的影响。独创性/价值本研究是第一个探讨数字服务沟通策略对顾客内部和行为反应影响的研究。

Facilitating and impeding factors to insiders’ prosocial rule breaking in South Korea

Insiders’ security breach in healthcare is a serious issue both to healthcare organizations and to patients. Investigating factors affecting prosocial intention to disclose committed by insiders helps better understand and manage these breaches in healthcare. This study identifies the factors, including contextual factors, personal factors, job factors, and security countermeasures. A research model was developed by incorporating factors that affect student nurse trainees’ security breaches. A scenario-based experiment was conducted to empirically test the model, with student nurse trainees in South Korea. This study found that one contextual factor and several personal factors affect the prosocial intention to disclose.

Buyer–Supplier Relationship Dynamics in Buyers’ Bankruptcy Survival

A bankrupt buyer firm's interactions with its suppliers during bankruptcy have critical implications for both parties and for the broader economy, yet these interactions remain poorly understood. The authors build on research on buyer–supplier relationship dynamics to demonstrate that accommodative and exploitative velocities—the rate and direction of change in the corresponding acts—serve as signals affecting bankruptcy survival. They show how signal characteristics (i.e., the variability in accommodative and exploitative acts) and signaler characteristics (i.e., whether the party undertaking the acts is the buyer or its suppliers) moderate the impact of accommodative and exploitative velocities on bankruptcy survival. Study 1 examines the bankruptcy survival outcome of 310 U.S. bankruptcies over 14 years and finds that a 1% increase in accommodative (exploitative) velocity increases (decreases) the buyer's survival by 39% (33%). Further, variability in accommodative acts weakens their effect, and suppliers' (vs. the buyer's) accommodative and exploitative velocities are less deterministic of the buyer's bankruptcy survival. Study 2 uses a scenario-based experiment to shed light on the mechanism underlying the impact of the two velocities on bankruptcy survival. The findings from both studies demonstrate the key role played by buyer–supplier interactions in a buyer's bankruptcy survival.

How does ritualistic service increase brand evangelism through E2C interaction quality and memory? The moderating role of social phobia

This research used a conceptual model to examine how a restaurant service ritual might influence brand evangelism through employee-to-customer (E2C) interaction quality and positive memory, based on the Interaction Ritual Chains (IRC) theory. To evaluate the proposed hypotheses, three scenario-based experiments were used. The results indicated that customers served through the use of ritualistic behavior were more likely to perceive high-quality E2C interaction and build positive memories, eliciting stronger brand evangelism, and that social phobia served as a moderator. In the ritual-absent service condition, socially phobic customers showed stronger brand evangelism, while the results reverse in the ritual-present service condition. These findings offer insight for restaurant managers relating to the design of their service blueprint.

What Does Leaders’ Abuse Mean to Me? Psychological Empowerment as the Key Mechanism Explaining the Relationship Between Abusive Supervision and Taking Charge

We integrate the cognitive theory of empowerment and regulatory focus theory to suggest that abusive supervision, from which employees draw negative achievement and security implications, discourages employees from engaging in taking charge by damaging their psychological empowerment. We propose that this negative influence is more saliently experienced by both promotion-focused and prevention-focused employees, albeit for different reasons. To test our model, we conducted a field study (Study 1) and a scenario-based experiment (Study 2). In Study 1, we found that psychological empowerment stood as a key mechanism linking abusive supervision and taking charge. Further, promotion focus magnified the negative effects of abusive supervision on psychological empowerment, and in turn, taking charge. Yet, prevention focus did not influence these effects. In Study 2, we replicated these findings and revealed that the anticipations of both career success and job insecurity (representing employees’ achievement and security implications) are critical in linking abusive supervision and psychological empowerment. We also found that promotion focus strengthened the negative indirect effect of abusive supervision on psychological empowerment via anticipated career success, ultimately resulting in a greater negative impact on taking charge. As in Study 1, there was limited support for the moderating effects of prevention focus. Our research highlights the importance of adopting a cognitive view in understanding the impact of abusive supervision on employees’ taking charge.

Mere copycat? The effects of human versus human-like virtual influencers on brand endorsement effectiveness: A moderated serial-mediation model

The emergence of virtual influencers, who possess realistic human-like appearances and intelligence, has provided new opportunities for brand endorsement strategy and gradually become an innovative trend. As the effectiveness of influencer endorsement is rooted in parasocial relationships, it remains unknown whether this effect can be extended to virtual influencers. With a focus on endorsement, the current study investigated the impact of human-like virtual influencers on parasocial relationships and their further outcomes. Two scenario-based experiments spanning two cultural contexts (Studies 1 and 2) provided sufficient evidence that users build weaker parasocial relationships with human-like virtual influencers due to the lower emotional engagement involved, which results in lower endorsement effectiveness in terms of brand interest and purchase intention. Moreover, a novel moderation role of influencer post modality (image vs. video) was found to attenuate the negative effect of human-like virtual influencers. The findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of users’ relationship building with virtual influencers, and offer suggestions for influencer endorsements and communication strategies for virtual influencers.

The impact of intelligent customer service agents’ initial response on consumers’ continuous interaction intention

Intelligent customer service agents (ICSAs) have been widely used as automated service assistants in e-commerce. Although ICSAs are highly valued by enterprises, consumers have lower continuous interaction intention for them. The initial response content will largely affect consumers' continuous interaction intention, which directly determines the ICSAs' efficiency. Therefore, making an effective strategy for ICSAs' initial response has become a focus for enterprises. Previous studies mainly investigated ICSAs from the perspective of the complete interaction, and ignored the initial interaction. Based on the theory of computers as social actors and the stereotype content model, this study investigates the impact of ICSAs' initial response content (functional content vs. social content) on consumers' continuous interaction intention. Through two online scenario-based experiments, the results show that initial response content has a significant influence on consumers' continuous intention. The initial response content impacts consumers' trust and affect through perceived warmth and perceived competence, which further influence consumers’ continuous interaction intention. Furthermore, the functional response content has a greater impact on perceived competence, while the social response content has a stronger influence on perceived warmth. In addition, the effect of initial response content on perceived warmth and on perceived competence are moderated by interaction initiation modes. These findings enrich the literature on ICSAs and offer practical implications for e-retailers seeking to make effective initial response strategies.

Can AI really help? The double-edged sword effect of AI assistant on employees’ innovation behavior

With artificial intelligence (AI) replacing humans at work, creative work is becoming increasingly important for humans. Although AI may improve employees' innovation behavior, some evidence suggests a negative effect through employees' psychological well-being. To address these contradictory arguments, this study investigated the double-edged sword effect of AI-assistant intelligence on employees' innovation behavior based on the transactional model of stress. Two scenario-based experiments reveal that an AI assistant characterized as high intelligence has a positive indirect effect on employees' AI-enabled innovation behavior via creative self-efficacy, while the indirect effect is stronger when organizational AI readiness is higher than when it is lower. However, the same AI assistance has a negative indirect effect on employees’ AI-enabled innovation behavior via STARA awareness when organizational AI readiness is low. These findings have pivotal implications for both management theory and practice.

Less delicious but more natural: The effect of the natural label in promoting ugly food consumption

Consumer’s aversion to edible foods with appearance defects is a major cause of food waste. A proper labelling is one of the effective actions to advance consumer behaviors. In this study, the effect of attributes (taste, health and natural attributes) on consumer’s purchase intention for ugly food was investigated, and its boundary condition was further analyzed. Three scenario-based experiments were carried out, and consumers' purchase intention, perceived value and perceived attribute of ugly food in pretty food group, ugly food group and natural label group were compared. Results show that consumers' perception barriers to ugly food exist in taste and health attributes, rather than natural attribute. Ugly food with low appearance level leads to consumer's lower evaluation on taste and health attributes for ugly food, which further affects the consumers' purchase intention. What’s more, the moderation effect between consumers' self-monitoring and natural label was also measured. It is proven that the natural label promotes consumers' purchase intention for ugly food. When consumers are in low self-monitoring, the promotion effect of natural label on the purchase intention of ugly food fails. It is indicated that consumers’ negative evaluation on the ugly food is due to perceptual barriers, which is derived from an aesthetically biased lay belief, However, this lay belief doesn’t affect the consumers' judgment of natural attribute of ugly food. This study also provides reference for natural labeling on improving the consumer’s purchase intention for ugly food in the food market.

I can feel AI failure: the impact of service failure type and failure assessment on customer recovery expectation

PurposeBased on appraisal theory and social response theory, this study aims to explore the mechanism of AI failure types on consumer recovery expectation from the perspective of service failure assessment and validate the moderate role of anthropomorphism level.Design/methodology/approachThree scenario-based experiments were conducted to validate the research model. First, to test the effect of robot service failure types on customer recovery expectation; second, to further test the mediating role of perceived controllability, perceived stability and perceived severity; finally, to verify the moderating effect of anthropomorphic level.FindingsNon-functional failures reduce consumer recovery expectation compared to functional failures; perceived controllability and perceived severity play a mediating role in the impact of service failure types on recovery expectation; the influence of service failure types on perceived controllability and perceived severity is moderated by the anthropomorphism level.Originality/valueThe findings enrich the influence mechanism and boundary conditions of service failure types, and have implications for online enterprise follow-up service recovery and improvement of anthropomorphic design.

Contingent reward versus punishment and compliance behavior: the mediating role of affective attitude and the moderating role of operational capabilities of artificial intelligence

Previous research has long focused on the positive effect of contingent reward on employees’ psychological states and outcomes. Recent studies show that contingent punishment can also positively impact employees’ outcomes. Whether contingent reward can improve employees’ compliance behavior more than punishment can, has not been adequately studied. Exploring this issue can help researchers understand contingent reward and punishment from the perspective of the relationship norms between leaders and employees. Drawing on the planned behavior theory and cognitive appraisal theory, we developed and tested a model specifying why and how contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) increase employees’ compliance behavior. Using a scenario-based experiment across two-stage surveys of 309 participants, we found that contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) could influence compliance behavior by increasing and decreasing distinct types of affective attitudes (i.e., self-esteem and anxiety). Moreover, the perceived operational capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) moderated the effect of contingent reward on self-esteem and anxiety. High perceived operational capabilities of AI enhanced the positive effect of contingent reward (relative to contingent punishment) on self-esteem and its negative effect on anxiety as well. This research yields innovative insights for the improvement of compliance behavior.

A vapofluorochromic dimethylaniline naphthol Schiff base used for fabricating smart textiles for VOCs detection

This work presents the synthesis and photophysical properties of a vapoluminescent compound, (E)-1-(((4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)imino)methyl)naphthalen-2-ol (DPINO), and further studies its photophysical properties, mainly including twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) and vapoluminescent behaviors. DPINO emits wreak fluorescence deposited on cellulose substrate, but exhibits a turn-on effect in response to various kinds of VOCs, showing fast response and high visual identification. Through spectral analysis, it is found that the physical interaction between DPINO and VOCs is influenced by multiple factors, including volatility, structural similarity and molecular size (steric hindrance), leading to varying degrees of fluorescence response toward different VOCs. Using RGB (red-green-blue) and CIE L*a*b* (CIELAB) color spaces, the output signals are well-quantified, deriving color shift (ΔE*) for sensitivity evaluation. And the limit of detection (LOD) is calculated to be 7.4 mg/m3 (2.22 ppm) and 2.4 mg/m3 (0.72 ppm), based on RGB and CIE L*a*b*, respectively. We further fabricated a bimolecular smart textile by dip-dyeing method, which includes the present DPINO as well as an inert luminogen MMA, i.e., fluorescent reference. The DPINO-MMA bimolecular smart textile can be freely designed in shape and size, and further made into smart clothes labels, e.g., chest card, arm band and wrist band. In scenario-based experiments, the smart textile shows notable turn-on fluorescence in response to VOCs, enabling high visual identification and real-time feedback.

Social robots as healing aids: How and why powerlessness influences the intention to adopt social robots

Adapting the design and configuration of robots to human social needs is a challenge for the future. Individuals may be caught in social structures in which they feel dominated, which triggers their need to regain a sense of power. Feeling powerless is painful and leads consumers to compensatory consumption behaviour. We seek to ascertain whether powerless consumers may view social robots as a way of improving their well-being. In Study 1, we used an online scenario-based experiment to manipulate robot autonomy through a comic strip panel. Results show that powerlessness increases the anticipated improvement of well-being associated with robot ownership and thus the adoption intention, but only when the robot has a low (vs. high) level of autonomy. In Study 2, an online survey was conducted to understand better the psychological mechanism underlying these effects. The results reveal that powerlessness positively influences the anticipated improvement of well-being because the consumers perceive an enhancement of their sense of power induced by the domination exerted over the robot. Study 3 replicated the central findings on a larger and more diverse sample. Further, it suggests that robot autonomy and age play crucial roles in understanding the mechanism underlying the effects. Our research contributes to the literature on human-robot interaction, psychological power, and compensatory consumption. We also contribute to an emerging body of research investigating how intelligent products (social robots) can change people's lives in unexpected ways.

Demonstrating Autonomy for Complex Space Missions: A Europa Lander Mission Autonomy Prototype

There is a desire for robotic spacecraft to perform exploration in unknown, dynamic environments. The Europa Lander Mission Concept is one such mission that needs to deal with an extremely limited lifetime and energy supply, manage intermittent communications with long blackouts, face numerous environmental dangers, and ultimately take place too far from Earth to rely on human control. No missions to date have operated with the required level of autonomy and under the same level of communication constraints, uncertainty, and mission concept complexity as this mission. As a result, the viability of the autonomy must be demonstrated before it will be trusted with mission-critical planning. In this paper, we present an autonomous software prototype that can demonstrate and test the ability of different planners and executives to carry out complex, science-centric missions with limited interventions from humans. The prototype uses a hierarchical utility model that is used to maximize both the amount of expected science return as well as the number of mission objectives imposed by the ground. We demonstrate how this system handles some of the autonomous tasks expected of complex space missions such as decision making, in-situ data acquisition and analysis, data prioritization, resource management, and failure response handling in both simulation and on actual hardware. Through several scenario-based experiments we show how different planners and executives can meet the challenges of the Europa Lander Mission Concept. We also demonstrate that this system can be used in concert with a hardware prototype for autonomy field tests.

Work more, pay more? The impact of customer participation on customer pay-what-you-want payments

PurposeThe optimal level of customer participation is an important factor in service design. However, researchers know little about the impact of customer participation for their willingness to pay and hence organizations’ financial outcomes. This paper examines the impact of customer participation in a pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing system, allowing customers to pay any price they want for a product or service.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports the results of three experiments, in which the authors manipulated the level of customer participation (Study 1: Low versus high, Study 2: Medium versus high, Study 3: Low versus medium versus high) and measured customers' PWYW payments (Studies 1–3), customer satisfaction (Studies 1–3), perceived equity (Study 3) and perceived enjoyment (Study 3). Studies 1 and 3 were scenario-based experiments, while study 2 was a field experiment. Study 3 was preregistered.FindingsThe results support a direct effect of customer participation in service production on customer PWYW payments, yet only when comparing low to high levels of customer participation. High levels of customer participation lead to a decrease in perceived equity and an increase in perceived enjoyment, which in turn spilled over to customer PWYW payments through customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis research provides causal evidence at the individual level of analysis for the relationship between customer participation in service production and financial results. The paper also provides insights into its underlying mechanisms.

Brand engagement and community user behaviors in online interest communities: exploring a moderated mediation model

PurposeAs fertile soil for product promotion, online interest communities have gradually come into brands' view. However, existing research does not clarify whether brand engagement in consumer interaction is beneficial to the development of online interest communities. This study attempts to investigate the effects of brand engagement on the online interest community operation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a model that delineated the influence of brand engagement on consumers' citizenship behavior in the online interest community from the commitment-trust perspective. Scenario-based experiments were conducted and 536 data were collected by simple random sampling.FindingsResults shows that a stronger perception of brand engagement has a positive influence on the relationship (trust and commitment) between the community and its users, which further influences online community citizenship behavior (feedback, advocacy and tolerance) of both posters and lurkers, especially for the posters. Although relationships are more complex, brand engagement activates the development of online interest communities to some extent.Originality/valueThis original study contributes to the commitment-trust theory by examining the impact of brand engagement on citizenship behavior via community commitment and trust in the online interest community context. In addition, this study compares the moderating effect of posters vs lurkers on the relationship between brand engagement and citizenship behavior in the online interest community.

Can companions share anxiety? The effect of travel companions on tourist anxiety during crisis situations

ABSTRACT Relieving tourist anxiety is critical to tourism crisis management. This study analyzes the effect of travel companions on tourist anxiety during crisis situations through three scenario-based experiments based on the cognitive appraisal theory of emotion (CATE). The results indicate that (1) travel companions can relieve tourist anxiety during crisis situations; (2) perceived risk and learned helplessness mediate this process; and (3) a good destination reputation weakens the effect of travel companions. This study reveals the pathways and intervention mechanisms for tourist anxiety relief during crisis situations. Moreover, it provides practical guidance for tourism crisis response and management.

Too complex to handle: Goal conflict and tourist preference for simple aesthetics

Tourism practitioners can generally choose to provide the tourists with either complex, fancier environments (e.g., restaurants, destinations) and products (e.g., souvenirs) or simpler ones. This research investigates the effect of goal conflict on tourist preference for simple aesthetics. Across five studies (n = 1994), with one questionnaire survey and four scenario-based experiments, this work shows that tourists experiencing goal conflict tend to prefer simpler aesthetics. This is because goal conflict tends to enhance the tourists' desire for control, which in turn increases their preference for simple designs. The main effect is attenuated when consumers undergo self-affirmation. These findings shed light on how goal conflict leads to a preference for simple aesthetics, providing key implications for theory and tourism marketing.

Rise through coping with service failures in tourism

Service failure, a common stressor experienced by tourists during their travels, can have a far-reaching impact beyond the travel domain. This research investigates how tourists cope with service failure during their travels and its influence on their ability to rise through challenges and achieve personal growth. Through semi-structured interviews and four scenario-based experiments, we found that problem-focused coping generates a stronger sense of pride and a weaker sense of shame compared to emotion-focused strategies, fostering self-confidence and personal growth in tourists. Additionally, supportive companion reactions reinforce the positive effects of problem-focused coping, while non-supportive reactions may weaken it. The findings offer important theoretical insights, with implications for the tourism industry to develop effective recovery strategies and provide meaningful travel experiences.

Is strong more vulnerable? An empirical investigation of psychological contract formation, violation, and customer reactions

The authors combine the psychological contract theory with the cognitive appraisal theory of emotions to systematically examine how psychological contract breach affects customer reactions to service failures. In service encounters, customers may perceive a discrepancy between what the brand has promised and what they have received, leading to breach that could potentially evoke feelings of violation and result in retaliatory behaviors. Two online scenario-based experiments reveal that 1) breach and subsequent feelings of betrayal mediate the impact of the strength of psychological contracts on anger in response to service failures, and that 2) breach, betrayal, and anger mediate the impacts of the strength of psychological contracts on partner quality inferences and negative word-of-mouth communication intentions, with the effects being moderated by the reason for the failure (customer fault versus brand fault). These results indicate that managing psychological contracts can help mitigate negative reactions to service failures.