IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v71y2023ics0969698922003022.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Chatbots in e-commerce: The effect of chatbot language style on customers’ continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Meichan
  • Wang, Rui

Abstract

The utilization of chatbots has grown in popularity in recent years, leading to an increasing interest among academics and practitioners. This study investigates the effect of chatbot language style on customers' continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand. Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to examine the underlying mechanism. The results show that when chatbots adopt an informal (vs. formal) language style, customers’ continuance usage intention and brand attitude increase through the mediating role of parasocial interaction. Further, this study identifies brand affiliation as a pertinent moderator, such that the effect of chatbot language style is attenuated for people who have no prior relationship with the brand. The findings contribute to the existing chatbot literature and offer practical implications for brand managers to develop optimal language strategies when deploying chatbots in e-commerce.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:71:y:2023:i:c:s0969698922003022
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103209
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698922003022
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103209?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Song, Mengmeng & Xing, Xinyu & Duan, Yucong & Cohen, Jason & Mou, Jian, 2022. "Will artificial intelligence replace human customer service? The impact of communication quality and privacy risks on adoption intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    2. Kasilingam, Dharun Lingam, 2020. "Understanding the attitude and intention to use smartphone chatbots for shopping," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    3. Zheng, Xiabing & Men, Jinqi & Xiang, Li & Yang, Feng, 2020. "Role of technology attraction and parasocial interaction in social shopping websites," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    4. Kull, Alexander J. & Romero, Marisabel & Monahan, Lisa, 2021. "How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 840-850.
    5. Labrecque, Lauren I., 2014. "Fostering Consumer–Brand Relationships in Social Media Environments: The Role of Parasocial Interaction," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(2), pages 134-148.
    6. Aner Sela & S. Christian Wheeler & Gülen Sarial-Abi, 2012. "We Are Not the Same as You and I: Causal Effects of Minor Language Variations on Consumers' Attitudes toward Brands," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 39(3), pages 644-661.
    7. Ruan, Yanya & Mezei, József, 2022. "When do AI chatbots lead to higher customer satisfaction than human frontline employees in online shopping assistance? Considering product attribute type," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    8. Rese, Alexandra & Ganster, Lena & Baier, Daniel, 2020. "Chatbots in retailers’ customer communication: How to measure their acceptance?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    9. Gretry, Anaïs & Horváth, Csilla & Belei, Nina & van Riel, Allard C.R., 2017. "“Don't pretend to be my friend!” When an informal brand communication style backfires on social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 77-89.
    10. Kumar, V. & Ramachandran, Divya & Kumar, Binay, 2021. "Influence of new-age technologies on marketing: A research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 864-877.
    11. Huang, Yu-Shan (Sandy) & Dootson, Paula, 2022. "Chatbots and service failure: When does it lead to customer aggression," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    12. Chung, Minjee & Ko, Eunju & Joung, Heerim & Kim, Sang Jin, 2020. "Chatbot e-service and customer satisfaction regarding luxury brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 587-595.
    13. 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.
    14. Sheehan, Ben & Jin, Hyun Seung & Gottlieb, Udo, 2020. "Customer service chatbots: Anthropomorphism and adoption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 14-24.
    15. Ann Kronrod & Amir Grinstein & Luc Wathieu, 2012. "Enjoy! Hedonic Consumption and Compliance with Assertive Messages," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 39(1), pages 51-61.
    16. Sengupta, Jaideep & Johar, Gita Venkataramani, 2002. "Effects of Inconsistent Attribute Information on the Predictive Value of Product Attitudes: Toward a Resolution of Opposing Perspectives," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 29(1), pages 39-56, June.
    17. Guda Noort & Lotte M. Willemsen & Peter Kerkhof & Joost W. M. Verhoeven, 2015. "Webcare as an Integrative Tool for Customer Care, Reputation Management, and Online Marketing: A Literature Review," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Philip J. Kitchen & Ebru Uzunoğlu (ed.), Integrated Communications in the Postmodern Era, chapter 4, pages 77-99, Palgrave Macmillan.
    18. Xueming Luo & Siliang Tong & Zheng Fang & Zhe Qu, 2019. "Frontiers: Machines vs. Humans: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Disclosure on Customer Purchases," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(6), pages 937-947, November.
    19. Robinson, Stacey & Orsingher, Chiara & Alkire, Linda & De Keyser, Arne & Giebelhausen, Michael & Papamichail, K. Nadia & Shams, Poja & Temerak, Mohamed Sobhy, 2020. "Frontline encounters of the AI kind: An evolved service encounter framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 366-376.
    20. Liebrecht, Christine & Tsaousi, Christina & van Hooijdonk, Charlotte, 2021. "Linguistic elements of conversational human voice in online brand communication: Manipulations and perceptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 124-135.
    21. Wu, Laurie & Shen, Han & Fan, Alei & Mattila, Anna S., 2017. "The impact of language style on consumers′ reactions to online reviews," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 590-596.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Söderlund, Magnus, 2023. "Moderator variables in consumer research: A call for caution," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    2. Song, Mengmeng & Zhang, Huixian & Xing, Xinyu & Duan, Yucong, 2023. "Appreciation vs. apology: Research on the influence mechanism of chatbot service recovery based on politeness theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    3. Xu, Ying & Niu, Nan & Zhao, Zixiang, 2023. "Dissecting the mixed effects of human-customer service chatbot interaction on customer satisfaction: An explanation from temporal and conversational cues," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    4. 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).
    5. Degutis, Mindaugas & UrbonaviÄ ius, Sigitas & Hollebeek, Linda D. & Anselmsson, Johan, 2023. "Consumers’ willingness to disclose their personal data in e-commerce: A reciprocity-based social exchange perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. 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).
    7. Park, Junsung & Yoo, Joon Woo & Cho, Youngju & Park, Heejun, 2023. "Examining the impact of service robot communication styles on customer intimacy following service failure," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    8. Hu, Qian & Pan, Zhao, 2023. "Can AI benefit individual resilience? The mediation roles of AI routinization and infusion," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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).
    2. Kull, Alexander J. & Romero, Marisabel & Monahan, Lisa, 2021. "How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 840-850.
    3. 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.
    4. Huang, Yu-Shan (Sandy) & Dootson, Paula, 2022. "Chatbots and service failure: When does it lead to customer aggression," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    5. Baabdullah, Abdullah M. & Alalwan, Ali Abdallah & Algharabat, Raed S. & Metri, Bhimaraya & Rana, Nripendra P., 2022. "Virtual agents and flow experience: An empirical examination of AI-powered chatbots," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    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. Song, Mengmeng & Zhang, Huixian & Xing, Xinyu & Duan, Yucong, 2023. "Appreciation vs. apology: Research on the influence mechanism of chatbot service recovery based on politeness theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    8. Jan, Ihsan Ullah & Ji, Seonggoo & Kim, Changju, 2023. "What (de) motivates customers to use AI-powered conversational agents for shopping? The extended behavioral reasoning perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    9. 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).
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. 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.
    13. Xu, Ying & Niu, Nan & Zhao, Zixiang, 2023. "Dissecting the mixed effects of human-customer service chatbot interaction on customer satisfaction: An explanation from temporal and conversational cues," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    14. Selamat, Moch Akbar & Windasari, Nila Armelia, 2021. "Chatbot for SMEs: Integrating customer and business owner perspectives," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    15. Rizomyliotis, Ioannis & Kastanakis, Minas N. & Giovanis, Apostolos & Konstantoulaki, Kleopatra & Kostopoulos, Ioannis, 2022. "“How mAy I help you today?” The use of AI chatbots in small family businesses and the moderating role of customer affective commitment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 329-340.
    16. Tran, Anh D. & Pallant, Jason I. & Johnson, Lester W., 2021. "Exploring the impact of chatbots on consumer sentiment and expectations in retail," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    17. Song, Mengmeng & Xing, Xinyu & Duan, Yucong & Cohen, Jason & Mou, Jian, 2022. "Will artificial intelligence replace human customer service? The impact of communication quality and privacy risks on adoption intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    18. Darima Fotheringham & Michael A. Wiles, 2023. "The effect of implementing chatbot customer service on stock returns: an event study analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 802-822, July.
    19. 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).
    20. Li, Chia-Ying & Zhang, Jin-Ting, 2023. "Chatbots or me? Consumers’ switching between human agents and conversational agents," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:71:y:2023:i:c:s0969698922003022. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.