Help Me Help You: The Dilemma of Collaboration Between Expert Employees and Chatbots

Martina Caic, Robert Ciuchita, Giuseppe Chiorazzo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Chatbots have received increased attention in research and practice, especially in business-to-consumer (B2C) settings. The role of chatbots in business-to-business (B2B) is less explored (e.g., speed of customer service via chatbots in industrial settings). In this research, we probe the employee perspective of interacting with chatbots, focusing on collaboration and customer support. We do so through an illustrative B2B case drawing on interviews with expert customer service employees and business customers. We synthesize our findings using the People–Process–Technology (PPT) framework of organizational change. In doing so, we explore the importance of the interplay between the customer service employee and chatbot and impacts on the employees and end-customers’ experience. We uncover a double-edged sword: employees need to collaborate with chatbots to help them better help the employee, but collaborating with chatbots may negatively impact experts’ job-related sense of worth (e.g., employees feeling less competent and skilled).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHumane Autonomous Technology Re-thinking Experience with and in Intelligent Systems
EditorsRebekah Rousi, Catharina von Koskull , Virpi Roto
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Chapter2
Pages15-43
Number of pages29
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-031-66528-8
ISBN (Print)978-3-031-66527-1, 978-3-031-66530-1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Oct 2024
MoE publication typeA3 Book section, Chapters in research books

Keywords

  • Chatbot
  • B2B
  • People-process-technology
  • Interviews

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