Automated technologies: do they co-create or co-destruct value for the customer? An abstract

As service functions based on automated technologies become more prevalent there is an increased likelihood that the way in which value is co-created and co-destructed is changing. Prior literature asserts that there is an imperative need to study fast, technology induced changes in service eco-systems. These technology induced changes along with their impact on customers' experience of value co-creation and value co-destruction are the central phenomenon of this research. Specifically, the research presented in this study explores how (and if) customers’ experience value co-creation when interacting with brands' automated technology in service-based value networks. The two proposed research questions are as follows: (1) How do customers perceive the impact of automated technology (chatbots) on value co-creation and value co-destruction ?(2) What are the characteristics of chatbots that influence customers experience of value co-creation or value co-destruction ? In doing so, this paper reveals a more accurate understanding of how novel automated technologies shape the dynamics of value co-creation and value co-destruction.