Responsible virtual assistant for effective marketing communication

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Supervisory team Dr Sajad Rezaei, Dr Ria Wiid

Director of Studies Dr Sajad Rezaei, Worcester Business School, University of Worcester

Supervisors

Dr Ria Wiid, Worcester Business School, University of Worcester

Research Group: Digital Innovation and Intelligent Systems Research Group

The PhD Opportunity This self-funded Ph.D. opportunity seeks to contribute to current research in the field of marketing communication, Artificial intelligence (AI) related technologies, and consumer behavior and well-being.

The proposed research should relate to addressing the current challenges and opportunities in demonstrating responsible virtual service assistants. The research should focus on marketing communication and interactions to explore the theoretical and empirical implications for consumers’ engagement and well-being.

AI-powered assistants are intelligent products and services that have been discussed in previous studies (Guo & Luo, 2023; Kang & Shao, 2023; Kot & Leszczyński, 2020; Sprengholz & Betsch, 2021); as the last decades have seen substantial growth in the use of digital service assistants (Fernandes & Oliveira, 2021; Hoyer, Kroschke, Schmitt, Kraume, & Shankar, 2020).

However, the use of AI-powered virtual assistants may pose potential pitfalls (Ha, Chen, Uy, & Capistrano, 2021; Paul, Ueno, & Dennis, 2023) and increase the risks to consumer well-being (Banker & Khetani, 2019). Hence, the research proposal should focus on how a responsible virtual assistant mechanism would mitigate risk, enhanced consumer journey, service, and interaction, and enhanced social media campaign strategies and trust.

Therefore, finding in this area would contribute to improving our understanding of responsible virtual assistants for effective marketing communications and consumer well-being.

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Sources and further readings Banker, S., & Khetani, S. (2019). Algorithm overdependence: How the use of algorithmic recommendation systems can increase risks to consumer well-being. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 38(4), 500-515. Fernandes, T., & Oliveira, E. (2021). Understanding consumers’ acceptance of automated technologies in service encounters: Drivers of digital voice assistants adoption. Journal of Business Research, 122, 180-191. Guo, W., & Luo, Q. (2023). Investigating the impact of intelligent personal assistants on the purchase intentions of Generation Z consumers: The moderating role of brand credibility. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 73, 103353. Ha, Q.-A., Chen, J. V., Uy, H. U., & Capistrano, E. P. (2021). Exploring the privacy concerns in using intelligent virtual assistants under perspectives of information sensitivity and anthropomorphism. International journal of human–computer interaction, 37(6), 512-527. Hoyer, W. D., Kroschke, M., Schmitt, B., Kraume, K., & Shankar, V. (2020). Transforming the customer experience through new technologies. Journal of interactive marketing, 51(1), 57-71. Kang, W., & Shao, B. (2023). The impact of voice assistants’ intelligent attributes on consumer well-being: Findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 70, 103130. Kot, M. T., & Leszczyński, G. (2020). The concept of intelligent agent in business interactions: is virtual assistant an actor or a boundary object? Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(7), 1155-1164. Paul, J., Ueno, A., & Dennis, C. (2023). ChatGPT and consumers: Benefits, pitfalls and future research agenda. In (Vol. 47, pp. 1213-1225): Wiley Online Library. Sprengholz, P., & Betsch, C. (2021). Ok Google: Using virtual assistants for data collection in psychological and behavioral research. Behavior Research Methods, 1- 13.

Application Process To begin the application process please go to https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/.

The Interview All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams.

Funding your PhD For information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/fees- and-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx.

During your PhD you can access the Research Conference Support Scheme to support the costs of presenting your research at an external conference.

Research at the University of Worcester Research is central to the University’s mission to make a difference in everything that we do. We are committed to delivering excellent research which extends the

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boundaries of human knowledge but which also improves people’s lives by enabling better health outcomes, improving food security, developing environmentally sustainable solutions for crop production and socially sustainable solutions to our ageing population, enhancing public knowledge and understanding of the past and present. The University hence focuses its research around five high-level challenges facing society, locally, nationally and globally: • Human Health and Wellbeing • Sustainable Futures • Digital Innovation • Culture, Identity and Social Exclusion • Professional Education The success of our research is reflected in our continuous improvement in external research assessment processes. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework, REF 2021, the University saw a near 50% increase in the scale of its research and 12% increase in quality, building on its performance in REF 2014 when it was the UK’s most improved university in terms of Research Power, a combination of scale and quality.

Research Degrees at Worcester Our research students are central to our overall mission for research. They are working at the cutting edge of their disciplines and driving forward the quality of our research whilst enriching our research culture. We are looking to increase our research student numbers as a strategic imperative.

Our commitment to our students is reflected in the results of the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2023 in which we ranked 3rd for overall research student satisfaction nationally. Key to our success in his area is the Doctoral School, a focal point for all our research students.

It provides: • day-to-day support for our students, both administrative and practical, through our dedicated team. • a Research Student Study Space with both PCs and laptop docking station. • a comprehensive Researcher Development Programme for students and their supervisors. • a programme of student-led conferences and seminars.

Widening Participation As part of its mission statement the University is committed to widening participation for its higher degrees. Although most candidates will have an undergraduate and/or a Masters degree, the University is happy to accept applications from candidates with relevant professional qualifications and work related experience.

Research areas