Are computers good or bad for business? How mediated customercomputer interaction alters emotions, impressions, and patronage toward organizations
Are computers good or bad for business? Although computers are social actors research finds that people react to computers and humans with similar tendencies, little research directly compares humancomputer interaction to humanhuman interaction. I ask how mediated transactions with a companys human or computer representatives alter customers reactions toward that company. I conduct an experiment where subjects in the role of customers received products (low or high quality) from a representative (human or computer). I measure the customers emotions, impressions, and patronage toward both the representative and the organization. The data indicate few differences in reactions toward the representative and the organization, however, customers perceive the organization as more responsible and in control when they have employed human, not computer, representatives. A hypothesized statistical interaction effect (a moderation effect) on several emotions indicates that computer representatives decrease the strength of the relationship between receiving low or high quality products and customers emotions. Although many customer reactions indicate no human/computer differences, I discuss how the statistical moderation effect of computer identity on several emotions may relate to computers are social actors and other research.
customers emotion organizations computers are social actors humancomputer interaction computer mediation