Human vs. Automated Sales Agents: How and Why Customer Responses Shift Across Sales Stages

2023 | Information Systems Research | Citations: 0

Authors: Adam, Martin; Roethke, Konstantin; Benlian, Alexander

Abstract: Customers in sales processes increasingly encounter automated sales agents (ASAs ... Expand

Abstract: Customers in sales processes increasingly encounter automated sales agents (ASAs) that complement or replace human sales agents (HSAs). Yet, little is known about whether, how, and why customers respond to ASAs in contrast to HSAs across successive decision stages of the same sales process. Even less is known about customer responses to HSA-ASA combinations, where both agents assume distinct roles and focus on complementary tasks that are traditionally performed by only one single sales agent. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the influence of increasingly common sales representative (rep) types (i.e., ASA, HSA, and HSA-ASA) on customer decisions across sales stages. Drawing on information processing theory and the literature on hedonic-utilitarian decision making, we investigate customer responses to text-based ASAs from vendor companies in two common early stages of email sales processes (i.e., sales initiation stages) when customers successively decide whether to indicate their initial interest in an offer and then, whether to provide their contact information. Specifically, we conducted two complementary multi-decision experiments, namely (1) a randomized field experiment in a high-stakes sales initiation setting (n = 325) and (2) a subsequent randomized online experiment to complement the real-world insights (n = 408). Our core findings reveal reversing effect patterns of sales rep types across stages: although customers are more likely to indicate their initial interest to HSAs (versus ASAs) because of HSAs’ higher levels of social presence, they are less likely to provide contact information to HSAs because of HSAs’ lower levels of performance expectancy and effort expectancy. We also show that HSA-ASA combinations can be reasonable options for single ASAs, yet contextual features of the sales setting may affect differential customer responses to HSA-ASA combinations (versus ASAs) in each sales stage. Taken together, we uncover shifting effect patterns in customer responses to sales rep types across successive sales stages and shed light on the consecutive underlying mechanisms that explain these shifts. These findings have significant implications for vendor companies seeking to allocate HSAs and/or ASAs effectively across various decision stages in sales processes and beyond. History: Wonseok Oh, Senior Editor and Khim Yong Goh; Associate Editor. Funding: This work was supported by the Center for Responsible Digitality (ZEVEDI) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) [Grant 471168026]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1171. Collapse

Topics: electronic mail social presence decision making recommender system information system use

Methods: experiment randomized field experiment regression analysis method experimental task field experiment

Theories: information processing theory

Exploring Teams' Temporal Factors for Determining Process Tailoring that Promotes the Evolution of Agilebased Software Development

2023 | ACM SIGMIS Database | Citations: 0

Authors: Chen, Chung-Yang; Lee, Jung-Chieh

Abstract: In contemporary software development, software process tailoring (SPT) refers to ... Expand

Abstract: In contemporary software development, software process tailoring (SPT) refers to the continual planning and adjustment of the development process, which evolves to better accommodate dynamics and meet customer needs. SPT is a critical teamwork involving the differences in time-related perceptions among team members when tailoring to adjust and refine the development. This is particularly true in agile-based projects that promote iterative development over shorter cycle times for early release; thus, temporality is critical to efficiently and effectively determine a process solution for the next iteration of time-bound development. In this regard, this study theorizes a temporal model to explore how teams' temporal leadership, temporal reflexivity and shared temporal cognitions (STC) collectively determine SPT performance in agile environments. Based on an empirical examination, we suggest facilitating the role of temporal leadership in agile development, as the results demonstrate that it not only directly increases SPT performance but also stimulates both temporal reflexivity and STC in their collateral influences on effectual development planning. Notably, the results also show that team reflexivity does not exert the same favorable effect in SPT as in the distributed team environment. Theoretical implications are considered, and practical applications of the findings are provided. Collapse

Topics: agile software development virtual teamwork co-located work systems development collaborative work

Methods: survey partial least squares regression design methodology theory development longitudinal research

Introduction to IT-enabled collaboration for Development Minitrack

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Cheng, X.; Yan, X.; Bajwa, D.

Abstract: ... Expand

Abstract: Collapse

Topics: IT supported collaboration Twitter Facebook collaborative work Twitch

Methods: design methodology experiment survey design artifact design science

Augmented Facilitation: Designing a multi-modal Conversational Agent for Group Ideation

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Cvetkovic, Izabel; Gierlich-Joas, Maren; Tavanapour, Navid; Debowski-Weimann, Nicole; Bittner, Eva

Abstract: Human facilitators face the challenge to structure and collect relevant insight ... Expand

Abstract: Human facilitators face the challenge to structure and collect relevant insights from collaborative creative work sessions, which can suffer if they face a high workload. Hence, for effective value co-creation in organizational ideation we suggest an facilitation augmentation with a conversational agent (CA). CAs have the ability to support respective collaborative work by documenting and analyzing unstructured data. Following the design science research paradigm, and based on the literature about facilitation and human-AI collaboration, we derive design principles to develop a CA prototype that collects ideas from a group ideation session and displays them back in a structured (multi-modal) manner. We evaluate the CA by conducting four focus groups. Key findings show that the CA successfully distills and enriches information. Our study contributes to understanding the role of CA in augmenting facilitation and it provides guidance for practice on how to integrate these technologies in group meetings. Collapse

Topics: SWOT analysis artificial intelligence human AI collaboration human computer interaction participatory design

Methods: design artifact qualitative interview design principle group interview qualitative content analysis

The Power of Trust: Designing Trustworthy Machine Learning Systems in Healthcare

2023 | International Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Fecho, Mariska; Zöll, Anne

Abstract: Machine Learning (ML) systems have an enormous potential to improve medical car ... Expand

Abstract: Machine Learning (ML) systems have an enormous potential to improve medical care, but skepticism about their use persists. Their inscrutability is a major concern which can lead to negative attitudes reducing end users trust and resulting in rejection. Consequently, many ML systems in healthcare suffer from a lack of user-centricity. To overcome these challenges, we designed a user-centered, trustworthy ML system by applying design science research. The design includes meta-requirements and design principles instantiated by mockups. The design is grounded on our kernel theory, the Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence principles. In three design cycles, we refined the design through focus group discussions (N1=8), evaluation of existing applications, and an online survey (N2=40). Finally, an effectiveness test was conducted with end users (N3=80) to assess the perceived trustworthiness of our design. The results demonstrated that the end users did indeed perceive our design as more trustworthy. Collapse

Topics: health information system artificial intelligence information privacy concern privacy collaborative work

Methods: survey design science kernel theory experimental group design artifact

Theories: trust theory

Work (Un)Interrupted: How Non-territorial Space Shapes Worker Control over Social Interaction

2023 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Gonsalves, Leroy

Abstract: Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in ... Expand

Abstract: Organizational research has long emphasized the importance of physical space in structuring opportunities for social interaction among workers. Using 14 months of field research during an office redesign at a large team-based sales company, I find that the adoption of non-territorial space—a change from assigned cubicles to an unassigned mix of spaces—substantially increased worker control over social interaction. Whereas the old territorial space rendered workers constantly accessible to others, the new non-territorial space altered information about workers’ location and availability preferences, enabling new strategies for hiding in the space and signaling availability to others through workspace selection. This led to greater reliance on virtual or asynchronous communication technologies, and less unwanted interruption in the new non-territorial space. The findings identify how the non-territorial dimension of office space affects worker control over social interaction. They also reveal the social practices through which individuals actively use material and symbolic resources in the physical environment to avoid cognitive and temporal costs of unwanted interruption. The study complements dominant structural accounts with a richer theorization of individual agency—while physical spaces certainly structure opportunities for social interaction, they also structure the strategies that individuals can use to actively manage social interaction. Collapse

Topics: remote work IT supported collaboration privacy collaborative work personalization

Methods: survey qualitative interview field study theory development regression analysis method

Digital nudging for technical debt management at Credit Suisse

2023 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Haki, Kazem; Rieder, Annamina; Buchmann, Lorena; W.Schneider, Alexander

Abstract: Technical debt (TD) is a technical compromise wherein the ability to maintain in ... Expand

Abstract: Technical debt (TD) is a technical compromise wherein the ability to maintain information technology (IT) applications over the long term is sacrificed for short-term goals. TD occurs when software development teams undergo constant pressure to release applications swiftly, on a tight schedule. The accumulation of TD, which often leads to a significant cost surplus, presents a ubiquitous challenge in technology-driven organisations. To keep TD levels under control, many organisations implement top-down mechanisms that impose enterprise-wide principles on software development teams. This clinical research presents a complementary but distinct approach to managing TD. A digital nudge was introduced at Credit Suisse, a global financial services company, to help raise awareness and understanding, and stimulate actions related to TD decision-making in software development teams. This paper reports on the nudge’s clinical design, implementation, impact, and evaluation. As the nudge was effective in reducing TD in IT applications after one year of use, we demonstrate that digital nudges are viable means for guiding collective decisions in complex decision environments like that of TD management. Our findings have several implications for research and practice. Collapse

Topics: systems development decision making software developer IT manager agile software development

Methods: survey qualitative interview focus group personal interview design methodology

Theories: boundary objects theory nudge theory

The DevOps Funnel: Introducing DevOps as an Antecedent for Digitalization in Large-Scale Organizations

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Hüttermann, Michael; Rosenkranz, Christoph

Abstract: Business productivity and speed to market are among the top priorities of IS man ... Expand

Abstract: Business productivity and speed to market are among the top priorities of IS managers to stay successful. To achieve these goals, a change in business processes or models is often required, which is often linked to the phenomenon of digitalization. Enterprises have observed that a holistic approach to agile IS development is essential to enable this change, leading to the concept of “DevOps”. While past studies have delivered first insights about DevOps, an understanding of which factors are important to introduce DevOps in organizations, and how DevOps relates to digitalization, is still missing. To close this gap, we conducted a two-staged study of literature review and multiple-case study. Our findings suggest that DevOps links success and practices for development and operations across actors of different organizational levels. We find that DevOps supports digitalization efforts, contribute to the understanding of the DevOps phenomenon and identify worthwhile paths for further research. Collapse

Topics: devops innovation management job satisfaction customer satisfaction sensemaking

Methods: literature study theory development multiple case study qualitative interview qualitative coding

Collaborative Work Practices for Management Education: Using Collaboration Engineering to Design a Reusable and Scalable Collaborative Learning Instructional Design

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Oeste-Reiß, S.; Söllner, M.; Leimeister, J.

Abstract: Pandemics like COVID-19 highlight the needs and pitfalls of inclusive and equit ... Expand

Abstract: Pandemics like COVID-19 highlight the needs and pitfalls of inclusive and equitable education in a digital society. IT-based instructional designs are needed to increase learners' expertise, and to develop higherorder thinking skills. Instructional designs for collaborative learning (CL) seem to be a promising solution. However, they are mostly suitable for face-toface and not for distance teaching. The core problem that impedes their reusability and scalability is a 'collaboration problem' for which collaboration engineering (CE) provides guidance. Therefore, we deploy a design science research study and contribute to CL and CE literature. We develop requirements and provide the design of an IT-based collaborative work practice fostering CL. We provide empirical evidence with an online experiment in a large-scale lecture with undergraduate business information students. This reveals that groups of learners who followed our CL experience achieve higher levels of expertise than those who followed a traditional ad hoc CL experience. Collapse

Topics: online learning system team productivity productivity collaborative work spreadsheet

Methods: experiment design science experimental task case study nonparametric test

Transferring Well-Performing Collaborative Work Practices with Parameterized Templates and Guidebooks: Empowering Subject Matter Experts for an Adaptation to Slightly Different Contexts

2023 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Oeste-Reiß, S.; Söllner, M.; Leimeister, J.

Abstract: Collaborative work practices (CWPs) package facilitation expertise and have the ... Expand

Abstract: Collaborative work practices (CWPs) package facilitation expertise and have the potential to increase team productivity up to 90%. Collaboration engineers develop CWPs and deploy them to practitioners that execute them. These CWPs, however, are typically customized to conditions of a specific use case. This creates the challenge that changing use case conditions or even small variations across contexts, hinder well-performing CWPs of being applied more often to create a long-term value. Practitioners fail to adapt existing CWPs due to missing collaboration expertise and adaptation guidelines. To address this challenge in collaboration engineering literature, we introduce a) the Subject Matter Expert role; b) the 'CWP Adaptation Approach' that formalizes the transfer of CWPs to different contexts with parameterized Templates and Guidebooks. To show a first proof-of-concept, we further inductively generalize from an exemplarily use case with a well-performing CWP in the educational domain. Collapse

Topics: value creation collaborative work human resource management team productivity

Methods: design artifact design methodology