NEWS & INSIGHT
New research has discovered that consumers are reluctant to relinquish their autonomy, despite companies’ efforts to inject decision-making processes with AI to save buyers’ time. In studies involving 1,700 people in the US, consumers were less keen on using an app that delegated to AI which items of food to buy. Participants were given one of four versions of the same app. In two versions they searched for products themselves, but while the final purchase decision was left to the user in one, it was delegated to AI in the second. In two further versions, participants were given a limited selection of products, with the decision once more left to the user or delegated to AI. Regardless of the number of products available, consumers were much more likely to adopt the app when they had the final say over what they bought. The researchers then tweaked the apps to show lengthy information about food items, such as expiry date, nutritional values, origin and chemical composition. The idea was to see if a more laborious process would boost the popularity of AI making final decisions. However, participants still preferred the app when they retained overall buying responsibility. A third study concerned the purchase of running shoes. Participants were again given one of four versions of an app, with free or limited choice and a final decision given either to them or AI. As before, all users preferred the app which gave them the final say. However, among those with an existing interest in running, the limited selection of shoes proved more popular than sifting through a wider choice. This implies that consumers might enjoy saving time when they know exactly what they’re looking for. Although some companies are working on supplying customers with AI-determined items for their convenience – for example, in monitoring and restocking fridge items – the research advises caution, arguing that taking final purchasing decisions away from consumers will be difficult. Published in Decision Support Systems , it was led by assistant professor of marketing at Neoma Business School Mariyani Ahmad Husairi. TBD CONSUMERS DON’T WANT TECH TO TAKE AWAY THEIR BUYING AUTONOMY SCHOOL : Neoma Business School COUNTRY : France
Economic optimism boosts national productivity, as well as research and development (R&D), according to a new study from the University of Sydney Business School. “Our research suggests that optimism is important for orchestrating a productive and innovative economic environment. Some 20 years of data shows us that optimistic countries are more productive and engage in more innovative activities,” remarked co‑author and senior lecturer in finance at the school Danielle Kent. Analysing figures from 42 countries, including all 38 members of the OECD as well as Brazil, China, Russia and South Africa, the study found that optimism among producers has a positive impact on R&D productivity. The impact of producer optimism was also found to be 33 per cent higher than that of consumer optimism, suggesting that it is policies aimed at improving business confidence that are most likely to have a positive impact on a nation’s innovation ecosystem. “Optimism creates a fertile ground for innovation by encouraging more R&D activity and boosting productivity,” explained Kent. However, optimism alone did not yield more innovation outcomes, as the University of Sydney Business School senior lecturer further elaborated: “The quality and quantity of outcomes may still depend on other factors. Our research highlights the importance of creating a balanced environment where producer optimism is supported by other innovation-enhancing policies, such as targeted support for R&D, technological development and entrepreneurship.” The study, entitled The optimism effect on country productivity and innovation activities , was written with researchers at the University of Concepción and Macquarie University. It was published in the Journal of Innovation & Knowledge . EB UPBEAT ATTITUDE LEADS TO POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN STUDY OF PRODUCTIVITY SCHOOL : University of Sydney Business School COUNTRY : Australia
Ambition | NOVEMBER 2024 | 9
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