B2C Advice on Complex Service Products via Video Calls: Explanations from Social Presence and Adaptive Structuration Theory

At the beginning of the 21st century, most service companies maintain relationships with their customers without any face to face communication. Companies are increasingly looking for solutions to raise personal contact with their customers while keeping a high efficiency level. Social Presence means that people can feel like being together even when their conversation is technology-mediated. We build upon Adaptive Structuration Theory to explain under which conditions the highest levels of Social Presence can be achieved. Surveys and (field) experiments are combined (1) to develop a powerful measurement instrument for Social Presence, (2) to research in which situations technology-mediated communication is perceived to be the most “personal” and (3) whether Social Presence can account for higher levels of relationship building

An Empirical Comparison of Consumer Innovation Adoption Models: Implications for Subsistence Marketplaces

So called “pro-poor” innovations may improve consumer wellbeing in subsistence marketplaces. However, there is little research that integrates the area with the vast literature on innovation adoption. Using a questionnaire where respondents were asked to provide their evaluations about a mobile banking innovation, this research fills this gap by providing empirical evidence of the applicability of existing innovation adoption models in subsistence marketplaces. The study was conducted in Bangladesh among a geographically dispersed sample. The data collected allowed an empirical comparison of models in a subsistence context. The research reveals the most useful models in this context to be the Value Based Adoption Model and the Consumer Acceptance of Technology model. In light of these findings and further examination of the model comparison results the research also shows that consumers in subsistence marketplaces are not just motivated by functionality and economic needs. If organizations cannot enhance the hedonic attributes of a pro-poor innovation, and reduce the internal/external constraints related to adoption of that pro-poor innovation, then adoption intention by consumers will be lower